Cry Witch
by Xenolord
Summary: Cry Witch chronicles the adventures of a Witch who still retains her mind. Complete. Slight Shoujo-ai, Action Adventure. Currently being fixed.
1. Dead Air

Disclaimer: Left 4 Dead and all related characters and scenarios are property of Valve and Steam. I only own the main character, Jake Ballenfield, Trinsha Ballenfield, Micheal Ross, and a few others.

Author's Note: (Original) I'm takin' a few liberties *Yes, again.* with this one, so bear with me. As with everything else, I do not accept flames.

Author's Note: (New) The original Cry Witch was a resounding success with both myself and the community, however, upon reading through it again, I've noticed some (Quite a few?) glaring inconsistencies (Non-Concrete Timeline, dialogue which clashes with later dialogue, stuff like that.) so I'm going to be re-writing the entire thing, from start to finish. Since I don't have to do much in the ways of writing, with the exception of copy what I had written, and make some changes, updates should come pretty fast.

Cry Witch

Prologue: "Dead Air"

The pain was unbearable. It was like a helicopter was flying around inside of me, tearing everything up, then repairing it all wrong... My memories were a blur, I had vague recollections of boarding a plane to... somewhere... then going to the restroom because I felt sick and then... I blacked out. I shook my head as the feeling in my body came back to me. I struggled to remember more, to try and recall what lead to this... whatever 'this' was.

I was cold. I felt so dead and lifeless, like every ounce of warmth was drained from my body, and dangled before me in a taunting manner. The memories I had after that were filled with pain. I felt bones shift around in my body, move and grow, stretching my body as they moved as the willed. It was like my body was changing itself to fit... something. I felt like Play-Doh being run through a grinder...

Searing, uncontrollable, agonizing pain. I thought that the pain would never end, a modern-day Prometheus, being forced to be eaten alive by day, then returning to life the next, only to experience the agony all over again. It would be the first time in my life I would ever be glad to be wrong. From the depths of my mind, the pits of my memories came a torrent of sorrow. Soon, the sadness drowned out the pain, but I could do little save sob. Each sad second in my life ticked by slowly, causing hours of uncontrollable sadness. I couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't speak, just cry. The only sound which I heard was the hollow sound of my own tears. I couldn't stop it, and something inside of me refused to let me.

Almost as fast as the crying began, it ended. The images stopped, and I slowly began to regain control. I opened my eyes for the first time again, and took in my surroundings through tear-filtered eyes. With the back of my hand, I banished the tears from my sight and looked around. I was sitting in a parking lot, a very empty parking lot, with a sign some feet before me which read 'Sacremento Metropolitan Airport'. Sacremento... I was in California.

It was strange. I had memories. I knew where I was, I could identify states, cities, and even most objects, but I couldn't for life of me remember who I was. It was like something you'd see on television, targeted amnesia. I was scared, I could say that much with a straight face. Who wouldn't be after waking up and having no recollection of who you were?

And what of the pain earlier? Was that the product of an over-active imagination, or was that real? Closing my eyes, I put a palm to my eye and shook my head, trying to dislodge the memory of the all-consuming pain. Opening my eyes as I pulled my hand away, I was met with a strange surprise. My hands. They weren't human any more, the beautiful, slender fingers of a woman gone, replaced with eight inch long claws. I flexed them, a bit too shocked to look it, watching as they moved like normal fingers would. This was no glove, no cosmetic change. This was my hand. Looking at both hands with a mix of shock and disbelief, I took a note of my skin tone, which at once I imagined was a healthy tan, hand turned ghost white, the pale of death itself. I looked myself over slowly, making sure I was still somewhat human looking. Two arms, two legs, a head, breasts, a body. Sighing in relief, I was happy to see that I was still humanoid, and hadn't changed into an animal or something.

With that out of the way, I decided that sitting on my butt wouldn't help me any, and that the only way I could hope to survive would be to move around some. Placing my hands on the ground before me, I slowly got to my feet, gravity promptly greeting me by sending me face first into the concrete. A grunt of pain escaped my lips as I hit, my mind mentally swearing gravity for what it did. I felt like a child, learning to walk for the first time, and falling at every step. After a few tentative moments, I managed to gain enough control over my motor functions to stand and balance, walking a whole other story in itself. One foot in front of the other, slowly, just like a child, I started to march towards the airport in the distance.

By the time I had reached the terminal building some ten minutes later, I was confident enough in my step to look up and around while I walked, the wind chilling my skin as it blew across the lot in hollowed, eerie gusts. Shivering, I covered myself. I was, for the most part, naked. A pair of tattered panties and a matching bra was about all of the clothes I had left, the red silk a nice contrast against the alabaster of my skin. This was an airport... so it goes to say that there _should_ be a clothing store, or something inside where I could hopefully get some clothes. Stepping up to the terminal gates, I pulled on the handle, the glass door rattled in place, but didn't open. I pushed the second time, just in case it was one of those silly push doors, again, the glass door only shook in place. A growl escaped my lips as I looked into the glass, the dim airport inside a welcome reprieve from the cold outside. Balling my claw into a fist I bashed the glass, hairline cracks forming where I hit. Either this was some weak glass, or I was stronger then I thought. With another hit, the cracks widened and lengthened, small chips coming off and landing at my feet. Pulling my hand all the way back, I pounded the glass one last time, the glass shattering and showering the inside of the airport lobby. Flicking the turn lock to open on the other side, I opened the door and stepped in, dodging the glass.

There were two things I found strange about this airport. The first was that it was dead, quite literally in many ways. There were no crowds, no people going about their business and no noise around. The silence was maddening. The second strange thing was the bodies. Littering the floor were corpses of humans, every one in various states of mutilation, some had been clawed to death, others were shot full of bullet holes, while others almost looked as though they were devoured. Something at my feet clinked as I put a foot down. Staring at the ground and slowly crouching down, I saw a few brass casings on the floor, some arranged into piles. Bullet casings.

Picking one up, I looked at it, rolling it over and over in my palm. It was still warm, probably was just fired. Who the hell was shooting in an airport? As these thoughts went through my head, I noticed the clothing store across from me. I dropped the casing and the train of thought completely, walking to the store. It was one of those music\gothic\lolita\punk kind of clothing stores, with lots of black and dark colors. I didn't think it was much my style... but some of the clothing in there were kind of cute... so I couldn't help myself. The first thing that caught my eye was a small, black lolita style dress with a white lace frill around the skirt hem, and along the shoulders. Taking it off the rack, I carefully slipped into it.

It fit nearly perfectly, hugging my curves nicely and warming my body almost as soon as the fabric touched my skin. Snatching a pair of long white thigh-high socks from the shelf, and a pretty pair of black Mary Janes from a nearby display and hoisted myself onto the counter. Careful not to put my claws through the socks I rolled them up over my knees, and just up to my hips. These were the kind of socks that had sock glue woven into the tops of them, which causes them to stay where you put them. Slipping the shoes over my feet and buckling them, I dropped off the counter and nodded.

"Looking good..." My voice came for the first time. Smoothing the top of the dress out, I did a little spin, laughing to myself. I moved to a mirror to see how I looked in this little dress, and what caught my eye was fairly frightening. My hair was long and white, matted in places and in desperate need of some attention. My eyes glowed a bright red, my pupils dancing about as I looked over myself. Is that what I looked like now? My visage in the mirror was... frightening. I looked human, yes, but the eyes... the eyes struck me to the core. From the back of the store, there came a loud banging.

"Hello! Is there anyone out there!" A female voice called, distorted from distance, and being shouted through a wall or two. "Bill! Francis? Is that you? Come on, boys, say something!" I looked towards where I thought the voices were coming from, the dressing rooms in the back, and started to walk that way. She heard the dull foot steps against the tile floor and continued to call. "Come ON, guys! Say something!"

"Hello?" I spoke softly, looking around. "Who's there?"

"Who are you?" The female voice called again. "No, you know what? I don't care! Look, I'm in one of these stalls... but I can't get out, I think there's something blocking the door. Can you let me out?" I saw a chair pressed against one of the door's handles, preventing it from opening.

"Of course. Give me a minute." I answered back, giving the chair a quick kick, the weathered sitting device shattering into shards. "Okay. You're free." I opened the door and looked in. Inside was the smiling face of a young woman, probably about early to mid twenties. She took one look at me and her face drained of all color. "What's wrong?" I asked, despite the obvious answer.

"Witch..." She muttered, backing herself into a corner, staring at me. My smile was still on my face, but was fading.

"I'm sorry?"

"BILL! FRANCIS! LOUIS! HELP!" She called again, her voice carrying.

"...that it came from over here." An elderly, male voice faded into my ears from a distance.

"Look, you're safe. Just come out." I spoke calmly, offering her a hand. The moment my hand made a motion towards her, she coiled farther into the back. "I'm not going to-" My sentence was cut off by two loud gunshots echoing through the hall, one slamming into the stall beside me, and the second hitting my exposed shoulder. I hissed as the pain raced up my arm and into my brain, staggering about, trying to seek cover. I had fled deeper into the changing room, dropping under a desk to hide. Voices spoke as I trembled in fear.

"Zoey... you okay?" The elderly voice asked a few seconds later.

"Yea... yea, I'm alright..."

"That Witch didn't get 'ya did it?" A younger, more arrogant sounding male voice chimed in afterwards, creating a slight pause. "No? No, you good to continue."

"That was really strange..." A much younger, more high-strung sounding voice picked up.

"What?" The arrogant one chimed in.

"That Witch, Francis. It was just... standing there. On it's own, and it didn't attack when you fired, it just ran. It didn't act like a Witch at all, man... it acted more-"

"Human." The female voice came again, her voice still shaky, but recovering. "She spoke to me, Francis. She let me out of here... It doesn't make any sense..." Her voice began to get louder, as if she were approaching me. It was my turn to coil into a corner when I saw her face peak under the desk. "Hey... Can you talk?" She spoke softly.

"Yes..." I answered unsure, not wanting to get shot again. She offered her my hand and a smile.

"I'm sorry about how I reacted. You scared me. Come on... come out of there."

"Of for the love a-" The arrogant voice growled. "Come on, Zoey, leave it, let's get out of here before something finds us." There came the sound of a weapon's clip being removed, then re-inserted seconds later. "And I don't have enough ammo for a Tank, if one wants to grace us with it's presence." He continued.

"Just a second, Francis." She continued again as I took her hand. She slowly helped me out from under the table and dusted me off. "There. Now that I get a look at you, that's an awfully pretty dress you're wearing. Where'd you get it?" She was trying to make small talk with me.

"In the store... I thought it better then to walk around in my underwear..." I answered, looking her over. She wore a red jacket with white highlights, her medium-length brown hair was pulled into a ponytail in the back and she wore a pair of blue jeans that were tattered and stained with blood and mud. She looked as though she's trekked through hell and back. "There was no one here... so I don't think they'll mind me taking it..."

"They'll mind less then you know." She put a hand on her chest. "My name is Zoey Mitchell." She spoke, taking my hand and leading me back to where I got shot. "These are my friends..." There were three men I hadn't noticed before, on account I was trying to get out as fast as possible. The first was the elderly figure of a man in his late sixties to early seventies, a gray beard on his chin more then solidified his age. A cigarette hung lazily in his mouth, the smoke raising into the air slowly. It looked more like he just let it burn then he actually smoked it. He wore a vietnam-era flak jacket with a few military-esque patches on the his chest and shoulders. His torn slacks mimicked the woman's in stains and holes. "This is William Overbeck..."

"You can call me Bill, I suppose. Everyone else does."

"How about Grandpa? Can we call you that?" Came the arrogant voice from before, this time coming from the middle man. He was a tall man, slightly taller then Bill, wearing a white tank top and black leather vest, his arms covered in tatoos. His short hair was almost stubble, a dark contrast from the woman, and the mustache and goatee combination seemed to add to the whole 'rugged biker' motif he was trying to sport.

"We may be running out of ammo, Francis, but don't think I don't mind putting a few bullets in your ass." Bill retorted, motioning towards him with the assault rifle he held.

"This is Francis Caulter. Don't let his rugged exterior fool you. He really is an asshole." Zoey smirked, Francis smiling and nodding to confirm. The last member of the group was a young black man with a white button-up shirt, a red tie tied loosely around his neck. He wiped his face once or twice with his hand to banish the sweat that was building up. "And finally, Louis Jones." She ended the introductions. "What's your name?" She asked, looking me over. I wracked my brain for a name, ANY name. At this point, I didn't really care what it was, I just wanted to set me apart from those Witches... whatever the hell they were. Drawing a blank, I shook my head.

"Oh, that's okay." Bill muttered some. "It'll come to you eventually."

"If not, we'll give you one." Zoey finished. "Now... there's supposed to be a plane bound for some place called Quarantine Zone Alpha around here. That's where we're all headed."

"Wait, all of us?" Francis droned, looking at Zoey. "Like... _ALL_ of us?" Zoey nodded and gave the confirmed 'yep!'. "Nah! No, we're not bringing the Witch." He barked.

"She's not a Witch, Francis! She's a person!" Zoey rebutted, snapping at him with a certain zeal.

"Oh, and I suppose you're an expert on Not Zombies, right?" Francis bit back, waving his gun about in the air objectively.

"Yes! As a matter of fact I am!" Zoey shouted. "In case you haven't noticed, FRANCIS! She hasn't tried to kill us yet!" Her yelling was loud, almost bellowing. I took a step back to avoid being overwhelmed.

"She ain't comin' Zoey. Final." He spoke firmly, stating his position.

"She is coming, Francis. Final." Zoey retorted.

"Come on, old man, help me out." Francis pleaded to Bill.

"Well, she hasn't tried to kill us yet... and an extra pair of hands would be nice..."

"Oh, you can't be serious!" He growled. "Come on, Louis, tell me YOU'VE at least got a good head on your shoulders still!"

"Well, Francis... Zoey's right..."

"AW COME ON!" He called, his bellow answered from afar with a howl of unknown origins. Bill turned to face the direction it came from.

"We can argue about this later. We got company!" Bill shouted, readying for action. Despite the argument, each of the four stopped fighting and took up weapons, ready for anything.

"Agreed." Francis chimed.


	2. Escape

Author's Note: (Original) Holy... I'll be honest guys. I was not expecting such a rave opening. I debuted this story very reluctantly, and you've all seemed, so far at least, to accept it into your hearts. So, as to not disappoint, here's the next exciting installment of Cry Witch.

Author's Note: (New) I will be slowly replacing the existing chapters of Cry Witch with newer, updated, more canonically correct versions of them two chapters at a time. I will, however, be keeping the original version of the story for both my review at a later date, and for shiggles.

One: "Escape"

"First date!" Francis growled, wrapping a long, serpentine tongue around his arm, leveling the assault rifle towards the lanky, smoking creature, firing a few rounds into it's torso, the creature exploding into a puff of thick, black smoke. "No tongue!" He finished, letting it drop off his body, shaking his arm some. The creature, which Bill and Louis had unanimously identified as a 'Smoker', slumped into a pile of flesh as the smoke began to slowly dissapate. Zoey, Louis and Francis all let out hacking coughs, unable to breathe the thick smoke. Bill gave a chuckle, waving his hand in front of his face.

"Come on, ya sissies. It's not that bad." He jeered, taking a deep breath in. "It's good for you." After a few seconds, he, too, let out a raspy cough. "Okay..." He wheezed weakly. "Maybe it is." He and the others moved out of the thick, impenetrable gray cloud. With a loud 'bang!' and a flash from the shotgun in his hands, Louis dispatched the last of the crazed humans, stuffing a few extra shells into the gun as the icing on the cake.

"I think that's the last of them." Zoey chimed in, kicking another in the face, crushing it's skull. "For the time being." She added in as an extra thought. She slid the empty clips out of her pistols and put two fresh ones in. "Everyone alright?" She called to the group, taking a look around at the bodies.

"You know me, Zoey. I'm invincible!" Francis gloated, flexing an arm muscle haugtily, Zoey rolling her eyes.

"Nothin' compared to 'Nam, Zoey. I'll live." Bill responded cooly, lighting another cigarette to replace the one a zombie had knocked out of his mouth. Louis watched this and rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Bill. If this shit doesn't kill us, those'll certainly get you. You need to quit smokin' man." Bill let out a laugh and slung his assault rifle over his shoulder and looked around.

"Don't you worry about me, Louis. I'm fine. We need to be more concerned about catching that plane. I stayed quite during the whole thing, not wanting to throw my two cents in. Zoey's hand rubbed my exposed shoulder.

"What about you? You okay?" She asked, smiling a little. Francis scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, Zoey. Leave the Witch, let's go." He took a step away, then another towards us. "I mean, really! What do you see in her! She's baggage!"

"So are you, but that doesn't stop us." Bill stifled a laugh as Louis sniffed.

"Anybody smell that?" He asked. "Smells like someone got burned!" This prompted another laugh from everyone, save Francis.

"Look, I'm the oldest here, so I make the decisions." Bill made a decision.

"Says who?"

"Says me." Bill answered back. "And I say the girl comes with us. She's not a Witch, but she is Infected. I don't know what she is, but standing here talkin' about it won't get us answers, will it?" Francis reluctantly nodded.

"Yea... yea, alright." Zoey took my hand and motioned me to follow.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Bill droned through the cigarette in his mouth, looking at a sign above us which read 'TERMINAL' and an arrow pointing down a hallway. As we left, we passed a terminal call board, where the numbers and destinations of dozens of flights were listed. Every single slot of that board was filled with either red 'Canceled' titles or green 'Departed' titles. Only one had a blue 'On Standby' tag. "There." He spoke, pointing to the board. "Flight 1876 to Quarantine Zone Alpha. It's still at gate 91, but we gotta hurry."

We made our way down the hallway towards the gate, Francis reading off gate numbers all the way up to seventy. At Gate seventy, he stopped. "Holy sheep shit..." He mused, watching a mass of swarming Infected sitting around a gate.

"Looks like their flight's been canceled." Zoey muttered in a dramatic voice. "Permanently!" She added dramatically. Louis rolled his eyes, Francis groaned and Bill shook his head, while I gave a little laugh.

"I hate ammunition..." Francis groaned, realizing his ammo was too low for this fight.

"Come on, Francis." Louis grinned. "I thought you loved ammo."

"I do. But only when I have enough of it." Zoey reached to her side and retrieved a pipe she was holding on to. She took a lighter from her other pocket and lit the small fuse on the top of the pipe.

"If you boys don't mind. Fire in the hole!" She shouted, lobbing the pipe over-hand towards the mass of infected, a piercing beep emitting from the device. As if on cue, the infected howled and began to sprint towards the thing Zoey threw.

"What's that?" I asked, watching intently as the mindless infected swarmed and mercilessly attacked the air above the beeping. Zoey only gave a smile as an answer, and a point, directing me to watch. The beeping accellerated until it was a constant, then 'BOOM!', the object exploded, sending bits and pieces of the infected flying through the air. I grinned and nodded. "Oh. Neat." The sprint down the hall continued without delay until we reached Gate 91, Francis stopping by the window, pressing his nose to the glass.

"Hey! There's still a plane here!" He called, smiling an uncharacteristic grin. "We can finally get the hell out of here!" He took a look at the heavy steel door which blocked the boarding ramp. It was blocked halfway up with the bodies of the infected. Other survivors must have used this as a chokepoint. "Ah, hell. Hey, Louis, gimme a hand over here." The two younger men started kicking and heaving bodies out of the way to get the door open. Bill, Zoey and myself took a seat on one of the chairs, waiting and catching our breaths.

"So, what brings you here?" I asked absentmindedly, trying to make conversation.

"The four of us met outside of Sacremento. Bill and Francis were traveling together at the time, and Louis was just coming from Nevada. I was inside the city before it was overrun, and managed to escape. We decided we'd have a better shot at getting out if we worked together." I gave a nod, coming to the same conclusion she did. "And it was a good thing we did. Many occasions I would have died had it not been for the boys."

"But many more situations Zoey's gotten us out of." Bill gave the younger girl a pat on the shoulder. She smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, Grandpa." She spoke lovingly.

"How come she gets away with calling you grandpa?" Francis chimed in, heaving the last body away.

"Because she doesn't mean it sarcastically, Francis!" Bill answered, standing. "Come on. We got us a plane to catch." Louis pulled the heavy door open, and let the rest of us in. Dragging it shut as I entered, he slid a heavy bolt across, sealing it from this side.

"Alright boys, give me a hand here." Bill droned, picking up one of the chairs from the barracaded other side, to transfer to where we came from. Francis played with a radio on the counter.

"Gamma Airlines, flight 1876 to anyone still alive, can you hear us. We are twenty minutes from take off, if there's anyone else left alive in there, tell us now!" A female voice called from the radio, the plane's pilot. Francis jumped at the voice, fumbling the mic all over the room. Recovering, he ran both hands in his hair and spoke into the mic.

"Uhhh... roger, Flight 1876, this is... Sergeant Francis Caulter with the Sacremento Police Department." Bill rolled his eyes at this, really Francis? "There's five of us, and we need a ride to... wherever you're headed."

"Copy PD." The female voice came again, sounding more then a bit relieved to hear back from survivors. "Listen... we couldn't fuel the plane before we had to get everyone on board. Are you armed?"

"To the teeth." Francis responded confidently, the pilot giving a slight 'um-hum' in confirmation.

"Good, then you have a chance. We need to you head out and turn the fuel pump on. The pump is manual, so one of you will have to sit and hold the valve open to fuel us. Once we're fueled, just shut off the pump and run back inside. Do you think you can do it?" Bill, Louis and Francis all nodded at once.

"Yes. We'll get you fueled up. Just give us a few minutes to prep here."

"Roger, PD. We'll have the hatch open for you when you arrive." Francis didn't give a farewell answer, just clicked the radio off and nodded to the others.

"Plane like this will take a few minutes to fill. I think we should watch the truck, because that pump will make a lot of racket..." Bill muttered some.

"Yea, and drive those zombies batshit." Francis added in.

"Last thing we need is a zombie on a plane full of unarmed civilians..." Zoey added her two cents in. I gave a nod.

"Agreed." Even thought I wasn't really part of the team, Zoey at least seemed to respect my opinion.

"Look, I don't want to sound impetuous, but can you fight?" Bill asked me, taking a step forward. "I mean, I don't really know what you're capable of, and I need to know now if you don't think you can do this. You can sit on the plane and wait for us if you want." I shook my head.

"No. Where you guys go, I'll go. Besides, if anything..." I gave a grim chuckle. "I can run around like an idiot and give the infected something else to attack." Francis stifled a laugh poorly.

"I like that idea. Can we run with that?"

"No." Bill answered frankly. "If you're sure, girl, you can come." He pulled the heavy door lock, a metal bar, from the door to the tarmac and kicked it open. "Let's go." The five of us piled out the door and down the stairs to the runway. Following the thick pipe connected to the plane's fueling spigot, we traced it to the large gunmetal truck a few yards away, full of jet fuel. "There's the tank." Bill chimed in again, pointing to it. "Start workin' on the fuel, we'll protect you." He commanded me. It was a sound plan, as I was the only weaponless one of the group. The large, red wheel on the front of the tank had a large label which read 'FUEL' above it. Grasping it with both hands I twisted, the rusted metal complaining as it slid open. As the wheel slowly opened, the sound of fuel flowing through a pipe filled my ears, and then the automatic pump inside kicked in.

It wasn't till then did the Infected REALLY come in force. Driven crazy by the loud mechanical pump, bodies were hoisting themselves over garbage cans, fences and crawling out from ever nook and cranny to attack the sound and, vicariously, us. I stuck to my instructions well, keeping the wheel open and the fuel flowing, the monotonous job was broken up by the cries of my allies, as well as the screeches of the Infected and the sounds of gunfire behind me.

Moments pass before the pump stops and the wheel begins to close on it's own. The truck must have been emptied. "Hey guys, I think it's done!" I called over the din.

"Good! Francis, Zoey, let's go!" Bill called, tugging on Louis' shirt, urging everyone to head for the plane. Francis backpeddling and firing, Louis and Zoey running at a clip to the side firing, and Bill dashing ahead with guns blazing created a nice ring of death around me, the four protecting all of our sides as we made a dash for the boarding ramp. Just as Francis and Bill began to climb, a rock came out of nowhere and smashed the stairs we had come from to pieces, causing the two men to leap to safety.

"TANK!" Louis called, pointing in the distance, a large mountain of a figure lumbering on it's knuckles towards us.

"Shit! Everyone spread out some! Take it down!"

"Francis, help Louis to the boarding ramp!" Zoey commanded, ordering the larger man to hoist the lighter ten feet up to the boarding ramp door. Francis gave a nod and cupped his hands as Bill and Zoey distracted the Tank. Leaping to the ramp, Louis instantly dropped to his stomach and dropped his hand, helping Francis up. "Bill! You're next!" Zoey ordered the elderly man as she continued to fire and run. Francis stood over Louis, giving Zoey cover fire as Louis helped Bill up to the boarding ramp, where he provided more cover.

"Your turn!" I shouted to Zoey as she ran to the boarding ramp, taking a leap as the Tank died meters away from the fire. Louis snatched her arm and hoisted her up effortlessly.

"Come on! It's all you!" Zoey called to me as I started to make my approach.

"Come on, PD, we gotta go! More of those things are coming!" The radio crackled inside. As I jumped for the ramp, Zoey's arm caught mine and she smiled at me.

"I got you. Up you come." Pulling me up, Bill and Francis were already on the plane. We joined them as the aircraft pulled away from the boarding ramp, to safety. A loud shout in the distance disrupted the slight party the boys were having. Something sick and wet wrapped around my ankles and pulled, knocking me to my stomach and dragging me off the plane.

"Smoker!" Francis called, firing a few rounds down range, hoping to hit it. Enough of the short burst found they're mark to kill the creature, but I found myself lying on the air strip as the plane was pulling away. Quickly recovering and muttering every swear word in the book, I started to sprint towards the plane, Zoey's face calling out.

"Come on! Run! RUN!" She called with her hand out, trying to reach me. As I pumped my legs, slowly catching up to the accelerating plane, I kept swearing to myself, cursing my stupidity for not closing the door. Down the runway a bit was one of those mobile staircases used for boarding planes on the runway. If I could just reach that and still keep with the plane...

Throwing myself up the stairs, I took a leap of faith towards the door, my foot just missing it, causing me to crash into the bottom of the door with my torso. My hands clawed at the floor, looking for purchase.

"Got you!" Francis' voice came as his hands grappled mine. He slowly pulled me into the plane and dusted my dress off. "There you go." He flashed a quick smile, which disappeared. "Don't look at me like that." He droned, reading my face. "I don't like you. But that doesn't mean I'm about to kill you in cold blood like that. Come on, let's get a seat." We walked into the cabin of the plane after closing the door, sitting in five unoccupied seats in the front. Everyone set their gun within reach as the plane banked up, taking off into the sky.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking." The female pilot spoke over the PA system. "We are, finally, on route to Quarantine Zone Alpha, and will be arriving in about an hour and a half, so catch some rest, and if you see our five special passengers, be sure to give them thanks." I was tired from the ordeal and, as suggested by the pilot, I closed my eyes in the seat and dozed off.

When my eyes would next open, we would be landed.


	3. Quarantine Zone

Author's Note: (Original) Holy Jeebus. I would have NEVER expected such a reception from one story. I think I've received more Story Alert, Author Alert, Favorite story and Favorite Author emails with this one story then I've received for all my other stories. Either you guys really like me, or you're waiting for me to fail. I can't express how much I love all you guys, and all this love you guys have been showering me with. I'll try to update at least a few times a week.

Two: "Quarantine Zone Alpha"

The pair of thumps that closely proceeded a landing jarred me awake. I took a look around and tried to locate Bill, Francis, Zoey and Louis. There they were, sleeping sounding in the chairs where I had left them the just a few hours before. With my knuckle, as not to injure her, I tapped Zoey a few times and whispered into her ears.

"Zoey?" I asked softly, trying to wake her softly without too much shock. "Come on, Zoey, we've almost landed." I continued, her weight shifting and a grunt escaping her lips, but overall still sleeping. Smiling at how cute she looked like that, I persisted. "Zoooooo-eeeeeey..." I droned, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Time to get up, gorgeous..." Her eyes cracked open slowly as she came to, looking about. When her eyes met mine, she smiled.

"Hey..." She droned grogilly, sitting up properly in the seat. "I'm awake now..." From below us came the sounds of landing gears dropping out of the plane, preparing for landing. Rubbing her eyes some, she continued to speak to me. "Man, I slept good..." She yawned a little, stretching her arms. "Better then I have in a while." She picked up Francis' shotgun from the wall in front of her, emptied all the shells, and held it in one hand as she put it close to his face and pulled the trigger, the tell-tale 'click' of an empty gun jarring him instantly awake.

"Gah! Reload!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, looking about and waking half the plane up in the process. Zoey gave a big grin as he realized she'd tricked him. Fixing her with a hard stare, he snatched the gun from her hand and growled in that uniquely Francis tone I've started to appreciate: "You are made of bitch." Flicking Louis across the head to wake him up, he unbuckled his seat belt, setting his shotgun on his lap, re securing the belt so it protected the gun as well. "I hate sleeping on planes..." He groaned, cracking his neck and knuckles.

"IS there anything you don't hate?" Bill groaned as he was woken by Louis shaking him slightly.

"Yea." The husky man responded, giving a slight nod. "Pretty women, and cold beer." He answered in the stereotypically male tone. Louis and Bill, both of which were unbuckled beforehand, started to buckle in.

"Ladies and Gentlemen..." Came the calm voice of the pilot again. "We will be coming into Quarantine Zone Alpha in about ten minutes, so if you would all kindly put your tray tables up, and your seat backs in the full upright position, we can begin our decent soon." She sounded much more relieved, knowing she'd be landing in a safe place soon. Zoey, Bill, Louis and Francis buckled their seat belts as they readied for approach. Looking down at my lap, I tried to figure out how to buckle mine without eviscerating myself with my claws.

"Hey, Zoey. Might wanna help your girlfriend there with her seat belt." Francis chimed in, pointing over her to me. Zoey stuck her tongue out at him and reached over.

"Here. Lemme help you." She took hold of the seat belt and fastened it around my lap, patting my leg as she finished. "All done." She gave me a smile and sat properly in her seat, waiting for landing.

Ten minutes later, the plane gave a lurch and a thump, tires squealing as the plane de-accelerated at a quick rate. Looking to my left, I stared out a window, seeing yards and yards of hastily constructed sheet-metal fencing stretched across the edge of the runway, protecting against, what I could only imagine, the waves and waves of crazed zombies outside. Once our inertia was reduced so we wouldn't rocket off the other end of the runway, we taxied into a boarding ramp for departure. Once we came to a stop and the ramp extended, the cabin opened up, a red-headed woman dressed in a white pilot's uniform stepping out from the cockpit. She noticed us instantly, giving us a nod.

"I assume I have you five to thank for getting us off the ground, right?" Her voice was the pilot in both the radio and the announcements in the plane. Francis nodded.

"Yep. That's us. Glad we could be of assistance."

"I was watching you out the window, and I have to admit... you, my friend, scared me." She nudged her head towards me and smiled. "I didn't know what to think when I saw you, but you know what? What you did out there was brave. Thank you. All of you." She went down the line giving us all hugs. After that was done, she addressed me again as the plane began to unload. "I've seen your kind before, girl." She muttered. "People who are infected, but retain their sanity." She continued, taking a seat in front of me. "They say that certain people who contract the virus change, but keep their minds. There's a man here, a scientist, who's been researching them. It's convenient that you boarded this plane. I think you should go speak to him, he might be able to help you understand what you are." I smiled to her and nodded, thanking her. We remained seated until the rest of the passengers disembarked the plane, the pilot standing. "Here... let me introduce you. He's typically a very busy man, so he can be hard to find."

We all stood and exited, the feeling of the very much alive airport a big change from the dead one we left. Across the way, we ran into a sign which read 'Welcome to LAX' in red letters, some people milling about, doing their everyday things.

"I'd often wondered what it would feel like to live in an airport for a week... I guess I'll get to figure out." Louis chimed in, chuckling to himself as he looked around. Some of the stalls in the boarding area had been converted to fit whatever it was people needed. A few of the food shops were converted into clothing stores or living areas. I looked at the pilot's name tag, the gold plate reading 'Jennifer Winchester, Captain'. Jennifer lead us through the gates towards the airport proper, boarding a small monorail along the way.

"How long did it take to set this place up?" Zoey asked, looking about some of the people making minor repairs here and there to walls and doors. Jennifer inhaled some before answering.

"They got it set up in about a day. There were a couple hundred people working here at the time, and another couple thousand who were in the airport when the Infection hit. People just barracaded themselves in, and made homes out of it." As we stepped out of the monorail, we were met by a posse of men in labcoats, looking about the facility. "Oh, speak of the devil. Doctor Ballenfield!" She called out, the group of men parting, letting a shorter, younger man step forward. He smiled as he saw Jennifer.

"Jenny! I see you made it back from Sacramento alright."

"Sure did, Doctor. I wanted to introduce you to some people, one of which I think you'll be most interested in meeting." She pushed me in front of her with a smile. The younger man did a double take and looked me over.

"Jeepus christ..." He mused, poking my arm and looking me all over, dropping to the ground and taking a peek under my skirt, an action I answered with my folding it down so he couldn't. "Oh... hehe... sorry. I forgot myself." Standing back to his feet, he held his hand out. "I can say with all honestly, my dear, it's a pleasure to meet you." I uneasily took his hand which he shook emphatically.

"It's nice to meet you too." I answered slowly. He laughed and patted my shoulder.

"Come my dear, we have much to discuss, you and I."

"What about us?" Zoey asked, stepping forward. The man stared at the group for a moment. He let go of me and walked over, studying them.

"Hum... four uninfected humans... probably Immune..." He mused, staring and examining them. He poke Zoey's arm and Francis' chest. "Nothing special, nor earth shattering here..." He stood and gave a little scoff. "I have neither a use, nor an interested in normal people. You are free to... watch paint dry, or whatever it is you normal people do." He took my hand again and started to walk away.

"What? That's it?" Zoey chimed, her eyes becoming hard. "We risk our lives to bring her here, to SAFETY, and you just scoff us off like dust?"

"Yea, pretty much." He answered.

"No. No, that's not how shit works where I come from. I'm responsible for her, so where she goes, I go, and where you go, she goes. Therefore, where you go, I go." He stared at her for a moment before continuing to talk to himself.

"Hum... female seems protective of the Revenant... Motherly instinct, or something more? Further investigation is warranted. Female shows no signs of hesitation, nor lies, she seems to tell the truth." He stood straight and spoke like he was talking to people. "Right then! You've passed my test. Follow me." Zoey stared at him with a look of dumbfounded confusion, one echoed by all of us present.

"D'uuuuh..." She spoke, holding a finger up. "That's it? You're not going to press your point?" The man gave a little smile and shook his head.

"Why should I? You've pressed yours enough." He inhaled a little. "I've had dozens upon dozens of Revenants walk through this Quarantine Zone, all in the escort of Mundane companions. And do you know how many of those Mundanes even showed a sliver of the affection you've shown today?" He held up a single finger. "One." His finger turned to point to Zoey. "You. You're the only one who's ever shown that they MIGHT actually think that this poor, unfortunate soul..." He put his hands on my shoulders and gave a little hug. "...might just be a person under all that different exterior." He flashed the 'follow me' signal, prompting everyone to follow, which they did.

He lead us through the airport to what appeared to have been, at once point, a large security office, but had recently been retrofitted into a laboratory. Several computers were set up around the room, and a few research assistants walked about and checked several machines. Entering the room he turned around and extended his hand. "Jake Allistair Ballenfield, Genetic Engineer, Applied Physicist, and Criminal Justice Major."

"Genetic Engineering?" Zoey droned, her eyebrow raising.

"Applied Physics?" Bill added, equally confused.

"Criminal Justice?" Francis barked out.

"That's a hell of a set of degrees, doctor." Louis chimed in, running his hand through his non-existent hair. Jake gave a little laugh and nodded.

"Yea, I was going for a set that was distinctly me. Something that if you were going for later in life, they'd just sign you up for the Full Ballenfield." He laughed again, but then stopped. "No, that sounds horrible." Shaking his head, he moved to a computer console, jiggled the mouse some, bringing a spread sheet up. "Alrighty, before we go, there's some information I need from you, my dear..." He stared at me for a moment with his hands clasped together, both pointer fingers pointing at me. "I'm sorry, I don't seem to recall your name."

"You're not the only one." I answered softly, giving a little chuckle. "I can't remember it either."

"Wha-at?" He stretched out, smiling. "Don't remember your name, that's... that's ridiculous." I shrugged some.

"Ridiculous or no, I don't remember." He grimiched as he moved to another computer, shaking the mouse again, a program waking up.

"Well, we can't have that. Can't have you going around the rest of your life being called 'you' or 'White-Haired Revenant Girl'." He chuckled a little and pressed a button on the second console. "I've got a little program here I think you'll find most interesting. It's a Random Name Generator, very similar to the one used in older games, such as the X-Com series. When I hit a button, it will generate a name from the official Name Registry, generating a new first and last name for you. I'll run names off, and you tell me if something tickles your fancy..." He watched the console until a name popped up. "There we are, how about Samantha Cross?" He muttered turning to face me. Wrinkling my nose, I shook my head. "Right..." He generated a new one. "Jenna Homburger?"

"Ugh!" I reacted instantly.

"Yea... my thoughts exactly..." Generating a new name, he added as a secondary thought. "There's always a Homburger..." The new name popped up again. "Okay, this one's promising. What about Emma Windsor?" I thought for a moment.

"I... don't hate it... I think I can get used to that one..."

"Emma Windsor? You sure?" I gave him a firm nod. "Right then! Emma Windsor it is! While I go ahead and register you with the system, I want you to re-introduce yourself to your friends. You'll be working with them more and more in our business." He turned to the first console and I turned to my new friends.

"Emma... beautiful name." Zoey smiled, shaking my hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Emma." I shook hands with everyone, finally happy to have a name. A minute or so later, Jake's clapping broke the reunion, turning all our attentions to him.

"Alright. I'm sure you all have a few questions for me, so I'm going to let you ask me." Francis was the first to chime in.

"What the fuck is a Revenant?" He asked blatantly, letting the shotgun rest in his arm.

"A damn good question at that!" He answered instantly, looking over the first console, loading up the internet, which I was very surprised to see still functioning. "In common fiction, a Revenant is a soul who's purpose on earth remains unfufilled in death, and in an attempt to gain peace in the afterlife, they walk the earth once again after death, trying to find what remains to be done, and to fufill it. By this definition, a Revenant is a person who contracts the F.E.V., but only suffers physical mutations, in essence, retaining all memories of their past lives..."

"F.E.V.?" Zoey chimed in. Jake's expression turned to a frown.

"Yeeeeeaaaaa, you might call it the Green Flu, a poor descriptor at best. Unlike the Influenza Virus, which infects the person's respiratory tract, the F.E.V. is directed absorbed into the hosts' body at a cellular level. It directly mutates a person's genetic structure..."

"Wait a second, doctor... you're talkin' about this thing intimately... like you..."

"...Designed it?" Jake answered Francis' question by finishing it. "Yea... I did."

"Wait, what?" Francis blurted out, his gun suddenly going into his hand.

"Francis!" Bill shouted. "Stand down, Francis!"

"You mean to tell me, that this crack pot created a doomsday disease to kill everyone on the planet!"

"You use the term crack pot as if you'd seen one." Jake muttered softly, taking a step back. Francis pointed the shotgun at him, loading a shell into the bottom of it.

"FRANCIS!" Bill shouted again. "Stand down!" He repeated, trying to get through. Jake's hands went up.

"Whoa, there, man, why don't you settle down a little. Violence never solved anything... Besides, if anything else, I'm the only one who can stop this thing."

"Shut up!" Francis commanded, putting the gun to his shoulder, aiming at the doctor's chest. "This may not solve anything, but it'll make me feel a whole lot better."

"If you'd just hear me out, you-"

"I'm not going to hear out a murderer, 'Doctor'." He barked back, Jake rolling his eyes, muttering something to himself. "What was that?"

"I said you're being an idiot!" He answered him, Francis flaring.

"Oh, that's it!" With a solid pump from the weapon, he fired once, hitting Jake in the chest, the force from the blast knocking Jake back into the consoles, a few sparking and a couple more exploding with the force.

"The hell are you doing, Francis!" Bill shouted, snatching the gun from his grasp. "We could have used him, Francis!"

"Bullshit! He's a killer and a liar!" Francis shouted back at Bill, trying to retrieve his gun.

"Regardless, Francis, he was a scientist! Someone who could have helped, and you just go and kill 'em! You're a damn fool, Francis!"

"Ooooo-kay..." A voice came from the consoles, Jake's body stirring and slowly getting to his knees. "I'm hurt now..." He groaned, cracking his neck. " I probably deserved that... No, scratch that... I did deserve it." He rubbed his chest, now peppered with a few small lead pellets, and grimaced in pain.

"Wait a second..." Bill muttered. "That kind of hit would have killed a man. Why are YOU still alive?" Jake gave a laugh through his pain.

"Let's just say that... We Revenants have a few things that set us right square above normal humans on the food chain." He smiled. "Fringe benefits for joining the club, if you will. The first, and most important is durability unsurpassed... I probably could have taken six... seven more before croakin'... but DON'T! Don't actually do it, please." He gave a chuckling plead, holding a hand out. "Nah, ya missed my organs, which is a boarder line miracle... so here's the deal, if you hear my story out, and DON'T shoot me again... I'll forgive this little transgression." He was still rubbing his chest, his face grimaced in pain.

"Tell me about these 'fringe benefits'." I spoke, approaching the man with caution in my stride. He laughed the pain away and patted my shoulder.

"In due time, Emma, in due time. For now, I need to bring you guys up to speed about what we're dealing with." He typed on a nearby computer that had, miraculously survived the impact with his body. A series of letters appeared in sequence on the screen, consisting of T's, A's, C's and G's. "Okay, I know you guys aren't the sciency type, so I'll skip the 'do you know what this is' question, and jump right to where I say 'It's the source code for humanity.'" He smiled and pressed the backspace key, the letters condensing into the double helix pattern of DNA. "Deoxyribonucleic Acid, or DNA. It's the backbone of us as humans." Typing a few things on the computer keyboard, his fingers flying too fast across the keys for me to descern what he was typing, several circles appeared on some of the points on the helix. "These... are the known human genomes. They define what we do, how we act, and what we think. Different configurations of genomes creates a different person. Now, this guy..." A red circle appeared around a single area. "Is what we called the Shadow Gene..." He typed a few more things. "Strangely enough, it appears in the exact same place in every DNA strand we've studied, which is a quadruple digit number, probably in the nine thousands."

"Strangely enough, it only appears in human DNA. Mouse, rat, bird, reptile... no other DNA strand has this guy. So, it was thought it was to be associated with something unique to only humans. After further extensive study, it was determined that this Shadow Gene... was associated to human aggression, our tendency for sudden, violent bursts of rage." He stared as the double helix twirled on the screen. "A pipe dream. That's all it started as. There were three of us who discovered this, myself, my sister, and my assistant, Micheal Ross. It was an the last day of the year... 2001. Micheal and I had finished the virus we had planned to change humanity with. He looked at me with this shimmer in his eye and he said 'Jake... this is big... this is the biggest fucking thing since life itself.'" He shook his head some.

"I had to admit, I couldn't help be feel thrilled by what we had done. We had perfected the virus that would save humanity from itself. I was a fool to leave it with Micheal." He gave a defeated sigh. "As I went to present our findings to the scientific community, Micheal stole and mutated the F.E.V. into what it is now, a perversion of science. What's worse, is they kicked me out, calling me a quack for trying to change humanity so drastically. In my rage and depression, I hadn't noticed Micheal had stolen the mutated F.E.V. for a purpose most dastardly."

"I was determined to prove that the F.E.V. worked. I was going to show those motherless sons of bitches that I was right, that WE were right. So I did what any good scientist would... I created three samples from the mutated F.E.V. strain, the one Micheal created, and injected myself with one, and my sister with the other. The F.E.V. changed us, turned us into... something." Bill chimed in after this.

"Wait... you said you created three samples... but you only mentioned using two. What did you do with the third."

"Unimportant." Jake answered instantly.

"It's not. That's a hole in your story, Jake. How do we know you didn't put the sample in the air?"

"First off, the F.E.V. isn't spread by air, it's aquatic. Second off the sample size of what we created was only enough to infect one person each, not enough to infect as many people as it did in such a time frame."

"Still." Bill pressed. "It would make us all feel better if we knew where that third sample went." Jake rolled his eyes.

"I gave it to someone."

"Who?" Bill continued.

"A woman."

"Who?" Came the question again, more stern this time.

"Unimportant." He threw the question away instantly.

"Who!" Bill barked in a commanding voice.

"Un. Im. Por. Tant." He gave a cold, hard stare to the veteran. "That's the end of it. I didn't poison the water with it. That's all you need to know." Bill was clearly unsatisfied in the scientist's response, but nodded.

"I don't like the answer, doc, but I'll take it. For now. But you better be ready to tell us later."

"We'll see." He continued. "Where the hell was I?" He stared at the ceiling for a moment, his mouth agape, before snapping back. "O-oh yea!" He cleared his throat. "A week after that, Micheal released a large dosage of the Modified F.E.V. into the water in five major US cities. Long story short, two weeks later, and everything goes to hell. Then, I start to change. At first, I thought I was turning feral, into a giest, but it turns out the F.E.V. was just changing me for the better..."

"What did it turn you into?" Zoey asked. Jake tapped the duct tape wrapped around his upper arms and legs.

"You seem like a smart girl. Where does this ring familiar?"

"Hunters?" She asked, remembering the hoodie-wearing jumping Infected they had encountered a plethera of in their escape from California. He smiled and gave her an approving point.

"Yep. After everything goes to shit, I start feeling like my muscles are shredding with each movement, so I use started using duct tape for a brace on the important parts."

"Why do... urm... feral Hunters wear it, then?" Jake shrugged at Zoey's question and started to speculate.

"Trinny and I have different theories. I believe it's a instinct thing. When someone contracts the F.E.V. and begins to mutate into a Hunter, they instictively cover their muscles with tape to protect muscles... Trinny, her belief is a little more realistic. She thinks that before they turn fully feral, when they still have some shred of humanity left, the feelings of muscles shredding drive them to take precautions, just like what it did for myself." He turned to me and smiled. "Now! Those fringe benefits I told you about." he took my shoulder and lead me to another corner of the lab, everyone else in tow.

"First and foremost, Emma, there are pros and cons to being a Revenant. I'll go over the pros first. First off, you can probably take more damage then a Mack Truck. Revenant body structures regenerate at a rate that would make Wolverine jealous. We can take bullet after bullet and laugh it off. However... do watch out for Shotguns... they actually do hurt." He gave a cruel stare at Francis, who only rolled his eyes. "Your particular strain has a few more that I don't. You'll love this one. Witch metabolisms are top-notch. It's safe to say you could probably eat constantly and never be full, or get that unsightly muffin top everyone dreads. You will stay thin and sexy all your long life." He chuckled and leaned on a railing as a blush played across my face.

"Second off is a little obvious, which can fall as a Pro or Con." He took my hand and looked at my fingers. "Your hands are powerful weapons, but also powerful tools as well. Careful how you use them, but don't be afraid to show them to your foes. You can cut through tank armor with those."

"Now for the cons..." He started with a sigh. "First off, Emma, you're sterile." He spoke plainly. "You'll never be able to have children, no Revenant currently can." He gave a snarky smile. "The pleasure centers are there, don't get me wrong. You can still enjoy a nice nightly romp with your beloved..."

"Doctor... I appreciate that, but can you just cut to the chase... I don't think I'll be having any... romps anytime soon." Jake made a 'pbth' with his mouth and smiled.

"I know plenty of people who think pale's attractive."

"Is this all part of the Revenant lecture, Doctor?" Zoey groaned, to which Jake responded with a solemn 'yep!' and turned back to his computer.

"Anydangway..." He cleared his throat, his smile fading to a serious glare. "Next disadvantage is... well... you're immortal."

"How is that a disadvantage?" I questioned, quite liking the thought of living forever. Jake gave a defeated shrug.

"Depends on how you look at it. The only family I have left is my sister and, well, she's a Revenant too. We'll live forever together... you... you get to sit on the side lines and watch as all your friends, lovers, and everyone else grow old around you, and eventually die, meanwhile, you look just the same, a painting frozen in time." The smile vanished from my face at his description of what the rest of eternity would be like. My eyes stared at the floor as these thoughts bounced about in my head. I felt a hand under my chin, Jake's clawed fingers picking my head up. "No need to cry, Emma. Eternity isn't that bad. You'll be able to make 'back in my day' jokes that'll send everyone reeling." He went back to his computer and started typing again.

"Now, I don't have the kind of equipment I need here to decern why it is you lost your memory, Emma... that and other things are a mystery even to me. But I know who does. I have a collague... well, okay, it's my sister. She's currently operating out of Quarantine Zone Theta, in West Virginia. She's got a much more advanced scientific set up then I do."

"Why don't you have the equipment, Doctor?" Bill asked, Jake turning around and folding his arms, sneering.

"Because someone punted me into the equipment I needed, breaking it." He responded, boring holes into Francis' skull.

"What?" The biker droned, shrugging.

"Because said someone is in your group, I'm assigning escort duty to you for. See to it Emma gets to Quarantine Zone Theta in one piece, and you'll be rewarded." He looked about to one of the higher balconies which had a few research assistants and equipment. "Oh, hang on." Crouching down, he pounced up to the top level, releasing the tell-tale screech of a Hunter. "I need you to deliver this to Trinny, also." I noticed the back of his lab coat had a symbol on it which looked like a broken circle. I've seen the emblem before, but I couldn't place where. Two other symbols were on his sleeves, depicting what appeared to be a mesa in a black, open circle.

"Hey, Jake?" I asked, looking as he turned to face me. "Those symbols on your coat... what do they mean?" He looked at his shoulder and smiled.

"Oh, these? It's my past." He put one hand on the railing, a box in his other, and valted over the railing, landing ten feet to the ground below. "I used to work for the Black Mesa Research Facility, before it exploded, and the one on the back is Aperture, where I interned not too long ago, before being laughed out there. And they called me crazy. Do you know what they're trying to make? Portal technology! Portal! It's alright to make phsycis-bending portal technology, but ooooh! Changing DNA, that's going too far!" He was clearly frustrated at the subject, and I decided it best to drop it. "Here." he continued, handing Zoey the box. "Bring this to Trinny when you get there. It's a combination birthday present and memento."

"You expect us to walk all the way to West Virginia?" Zoey asked, taking the box.

"No-o, Ms. Michell, I expect you to fly!" He laughed. "Little James Bond joke there. There's a plane leaving for Theta in an hour. There's room enough on it for all of you. Just be safe."


	4. Alone Again

Three: "Alone Again"

I awoke to a deep thumping in the back of my skull. It hurt. Like a bitch. I reached back and rubbed the swollen area of my brain, trying to recall what happened. I remember a thud, then a loud bang... and a Smoker's cough. I was trying to see if the plane was still in the air, but the hum of the engines was gone, and the floor was eerily firm. I took a good survey of my surroundings, finding my jeans still pooled around my ankles, where I left them. Talk about being caught with your pants down...

Poor puns aside, the throbbing in my head now resonated off my eyes, causing my eyeballs to hurt too. I groaned loudly against the pain, hoping this was some misplaced dream brought on by bad food, or lack of sleep. There were birds chirping outside my little five by five piece of the airplane, and a small sliver of light coming from under the door. I pulled my jeans back up and threw the crude latch and stepped outside. The cold grass below me, laden with the freshly sewn morning dew, only reinforced the point I had been trying to make since my first arrival.

I really need some freakin' shoes. A soft crying beset my ears as I looked about. I tried to find where the crying was coming from, the only viable source was a young girl, sitting beside the bodies of two adults, most likely her parents. I sighed. This was not what I wanted to do... I took a few steps towards the little girl, whom I now realized as the one who gave me the scrunchy on the plane. She didn't notice my presence, nor acknowledge it. She just cried. She had to be... nine... maybe ten. Too young to loose her parents. I looked at her hands... claws... just like mine. It was as I had feared. She had become infected... The sobbing progressively become more and more hollow, more piercing, and more frightening.

"Hey." I told her as I knelt down. She looked at me with ruby eyes, the hue shaded by tears.

"Hi..." She answered through her tears. I offered her a caring smile.

"Hey... what's your name?" I asked her, being as careful as possible to hide the truth from her.

"E-Emma..." She answered. "Emma Anderson..."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Emma Anderson. My name is Emma too." I answered. I couldn't bear to watch this poor girl's transformation into a Witch go any farther. Deep down, I knew what horrible deed I had to do.

"I'm hurting all over... why is that?" She asked, cringing in pain.

"It's just shock. It'll all be over soon, okay?" She nodded at me solemnly. "Hey, look..." I put one hand on her back and pointed to the sky. "Doesn't that cloud look like a candy bar?" I asked her. She brightened up for a second as she saw.

"Yeah! It does!" It was best for her to die with a happy thought. I rubbed her slowly matting hair with my palm. It was progressing quickly... a frightening rate. "I wish I could see mommy and daddy again." I felt a few tears roll down my cheek, landing and vanishing on my jeans. I wish I didn't have to do this...

"Don't worry, Emma." I spoke, feeling it eerie to call her my name. "You're mommy and daddy will see you in a bit."

"Really?" She asked, her smiling momentarily returning. I nodded. "I want to see them now..."

"I know you do... I know you do..." I could feel more tears coming now. I had to steady my mind for the task ahead. "Do me a favor, okay... close your eyes for me..." She did so. "And think of the happiest thought you can, okay? Let me know when you have it." she inhaled some, and eventually nodded.

"I have it." She answered. I sniffed once. "Why are you crying?" She asked rather pointed.

"I just... I just have some shock myself. It's alright." I lied, wiping my tears away.

"I have the happy thought. I'm ready to see them." She told me again.

"Okay... one moment, and you'll be with them." Curling my index finger claw out, I placed it over her heart.

"Emma?" She droned, breaking my thoughts.

"Yes?"

"You're a really nice person. I like you..." She told me.

"I like you too." Without further hesitation, I ran my claw through the back of her shirt, and through her heart. She was dead instantly. I couldn't hold in my emotions any more. For showing a strong face to that girl in her last few moments... I had proven to myself how weak I really was. I couldn't even tell that little girl what was happening to her. I denied her comfort in her last moments of life. My tears now came without remorse, running down my cheek and jumping from my chin, dying on my denim jeans below.

I threw my head down, trying to stifle the tears. This Infection... it turned men and women into monsters... even children... no remorse... no parlay. I suppose in this respect, and in so many others I'd discover, I really was more Witch.. then human.

I cried for what seemed like days over the death of little Emma Anderson. I could hear my sobs echo off the grass and surrounding trees. Zoey once proposed the question of why Witches cry. No one could answer why. It was something that even escaped Doctor Ballenfield. He said some things we are never meant to discover.

I think I now know why. We cry... because deep down we strive for caring. We strive for that loving hand, that... gentle touch. We want what we never had. Answers.

Night had fallen now, and things were no better. I was still alone and, with the exception of the razor sharp death machines on my hands; defenseless. I slowly began to force my tears back into my eyes, trying to end the sorrow. That little girl... barely ten years old, was snuffed out... but only before she could do anyone any harm. I managed to convince myself it was as she would have wanted it to happen. Fast and painless.

The sound of some medium-distanced figure hocking a loogie drew my attention up. I snatched the Smoker's tongue from mid air. "You..." I snarled, staring the Smoker in the face. He was about... twenty or thirty feet away from me, near the still-smoldering wreckage of the plane. Squeezing, I started pulling the long tongue towards me. "You have no idea how much I do not want to see your ugly FUCKING face! You have no idea how ANGRY you have made me! You..." I seethed, continuing to rope the tongue towards me, the Smoker slowly sliding towards me. "You blew that little girl's candle out! And for what?! I have no idea what's going to happen to you, but I can assure you this. I will enjoy it very much." The creature's tongue finally reached it length, the creature falling to the ground and being dragged the rest of the way. "You, however... will find it quite painful. If you can feel pain. And I pray you can." I stood it up, held onto it's only weapon tightly. "What's wrong?" I sneered, staring at it with rage-filled eyes. "Witch got your tongue?"

The Smoker was most likely dead before I was finished with it. That's all I really know. The details of the assault seem to blur into one, huge, movie filmed with an unsteady hand-camera. I remember ripping the zombie's tongue out and using it's length to tie a noose around it's neck and slam it around about on the ground... and I also remember forcing it to eat it's own legs, and jamming both arms up the bulbous formation that I could only imagine was once the Infected's ass. After I was done with that, the last thing I remembered with any great clarity, was snapping the zombie in half, discarding the two pieces and screeching into the night sky. Before regaining my body's control, I remember looking at the half that was once it's top half, and speaking: "You deserve far worse. But I've had my fun." Just as I took off into the plane's wreckage.

The rage subsided, and I began searching the tail section of the plane which had landed nearby. The emergency lights were flickering on and off, and the 'Fasten Seat Belts" light was on at a steady pace. Something, however, was eerily wrong. There was no bodies... only the two of little Emma's parents which, judging by how they were lying, I could only imagine were dragged from the wreckage. There were, however, several suitcases littering the floor, and judging by how many there were... I can only imagine that most, if not... all... of the passengers were killed in the crash, or ensuing zombification of the others.

I felt alone now more then I have in my entire life. I felt as if the world looked to me for some miracle... some sign of divinity. And all I could do was nothing... I started searching some of the suitcases, hoping to find something of use. And I did.

"Assault rifle... and an automatic shotgun. Yea... I'll take them." I droned, picking up the two weapons. I noticed the red backpack lying under the weapons. I rifled through the backpack, finding a few electronic games and a few changes of clothes. Removing the games, I set the backpack off to the side. I might be able to make more use of this then it's previous owner did. I continued to search the suitcases, eventually coming to a rather large stockpile of ammunition in another. I smiled a little and took off my dirty, well-used blouse. It had served it's purpose, but it was too torn to continue. I then pulled the changes of clothes from the backpack and started to see if anything fit me. Luckily for me... there's not a whole lot that doesn't fit me anymore. I found a small t-shirt which I found too ironic for me to pass up. It was a small pink tee with 'I'm the Special One' embroidered on it. I happily put it on, very satisfied that it fit.

Of course, even the inherent joy I had with finding new clothes, I still couldn't get the thought out of my head that I, very may well be, the only survivor of this crash... I prayed to every deity I could think of that I was wrong.

Once I had changed and clothes and stocked all the ammo and weapons as I could fit into and onto the backpack, I took one last look around, hoping beyond hope, someone else survived. That's when I heard it.

A coughing. But not a Smoker's cough... this one was a near dead cough. I looked around for the source.

"Hey..." A voice called to me. "Over here... near the cockpit..." it continued. Orienting myself towards the place where the cockpit I searched, a thin figure catching my eyes. Jogging towards him, I soon came to realize how bad off he was. He had a large gash in his side, blood coating the white shirt. He wore a white dress shirt with a tattered hat on. He was the pilot. Crouching down I looked him over. "Emma... I knew you were alive.... Listen... Bill... Louis... Francis and Zoey..." he coughed again, blood spewing from his mouth like a fountain. "They're still alive... they survived... traveling east..." He coughed once more, the blood flowing freely. He didn't have much time left. Judging by how he was, he was holding on just for me.

"Hey, it's okay. Just hang on, okay? I'll get you outta here..."

"Don't bother..." He groaned. "I can't move. I'd just slow you down. Go on, get outta here... they can't be too far." He practically pushed me away. "That bastard co-pilot... when you get to Quarantine Zone Theta... tell them to screen their pilots... my co-pilot turned into a damn... Smoker before my eyes... Crashed the plane... It's evolving... I don't know how... but it's evolving..." He closed his eyes. "Go on. You have to live." I stood and gave a solemn nod.

"Rest well." I muttered, giving one last look to the little girl who I had killed several hours ago. Trudging grimly towards her, I crouched down. This open field would have to do. Getting on all fours, I started raking the earth from a patch of grass with my claws, creating a makeshift grave. After the six-foot hole was dug, I pulled the bodies of her parents, and herself, inside. I climbed out and stared filling the hole back in, repeating a prayer which seemed appropriate at the time.

"God, our Father..." I began, folding my hands before the crude, open grave. "Your powers bring us to birth, Your providence guides our lives." I continued, my eyes closed, fighting back tears. "...and by Your command we return to dust." These words nearly caused my conviction to break, a a single tear escaping. "Lord..." I forced myself to keep going "Those who die still live in Your presences, their lives change, but do not end..." The wind blew hard, playing with my ponytail sweetly. "I pray in hope for my family, relatives and friends..." I heard the sweet whispers of the spring air speak to me, seemingly mimicking my words. "...And to all the dead known to You alone." I prepared myself for the final verse. "In company with Christ, who died, but now lives..." I was trying to figure out where I've heard this before... "May they rejoice in Your kingdom, where all our tears are wiped away, unite us together again in one family, to sing Your praise forever and ever..." I took a deep breath, and wiped a tear away. "Amen." I finished, opening my eyes. Looking to the mound of dirt, I started filling the grave in.

After I had given the young girl and her parents their burial, I stripped a piece of the wing from the plane with a claw and shaped it into a tombstone. Placing it at the head of the grave, I carved these words into it with my claw. "Here lies young Emma Anderson, victim of the Infection at the tender age of ten. Buried with her parents, may we all be together again in the Kingdom of God."

I smiled at my good work and, remembering Quarantine Zone Theta was on the east coast, and the plane was headed east, I oriented my heading with the nose of the plane, and took off.

The trees only made the night even darker. With the canopy blocking out what little light there already was, I had the feeling the darkness was creeping in towards me... almost as if it was to swallow me whole. It didn't take me long, however, to pick up the other's trail. Of bodies. Several piles of corpses littered the small dirt trail. The trees were speckled with fresh blood, and the stench of death was heavy in the air. Or was that the smell of gun powder? I suppose, in this case, gun powder and death have the same, eerily satisfying smell. I continued to follow the trail of bodies. I figured eventually, it would lead me to the others and, in turn, freedom.

If I squinted real hard into the ground, I could see footprints smeared into the dust... multiple pairs, I couldn't be a hundred percent sure. The shell casings and bullet casings were a better maker then the footprints. Then the crying.

I still can't tell what made that sound, above all other sounds permeating in a forest, so prominent, but the distinctive sound of a piercing, shrill, hallow cry made it's presence known to my ears. It was a sound I was all to familiar with, but one I was never hoping to hear again.

It was the sound of what I could possibly become. A Witch was ahead. Judging by the fact it was still there, I could only guess the others decided to go around her, instead of pissing her off. As I drew closer to the shrill sob, I noticed something. The Hunter to my left. Normally, the Hunter itself would be nothing special, but it was what he was doing that made this particular Hunter very special.

He was doing nothing. More notably, he was doing nothing to ME. He simply didn't even seem to acknowledge my presence. I continued on my way and payed the Hunter no mind, simply walking past him, the sobbing becoming louder. My eyes shifted around the field, looking for the source of the sobs. Slumped in the corner, face to the wall, was a figure eerily similar to my own; thin, lanky and unkempt. If the Hunter ignored me...

No, this was different. This was a Witch. They don't CARE. But... something urged me closer to the woman in the corner. I had to know exactly what it was that drove me. I had to know what I was capable of... and to do that... I had to know what she is capable of. Sitting down right behind her, I took a moment to take in her sobs. Cries of anguish, of hurt and of pain. Cries I could do nothing to soothe. I sat be hind her for... who knows how long, just listening to her sob tail be told through her soundless words.

Finally, after being able to stomach no more of her cries, I put a hand on her shoulder. The reaction was instant. Her head, once bowed with tears, now stared at me and, through her matted, curtain-like hair, the resonance of her deep red eyes shown brightly. She then stood, staring at me with a bloodlust I've never seen. Facing me full on, she spread her arms wide and screeched.

The next hit sent me to my back. The sheer force she put into her first attack surprised me. Roaring in success, she looked down at me. Then, the strangest thing happened. Like a long lost puppy, she looked at me, her eyes, while still red, turning soft. As it looked, it grumbled something in a low growl... it was... talking to me. By some unknown force, the growling turned into words, and I began to understand it.

It wanted to know who it was. It was like me. It was scared, alone, and unsure of anything. I didn't know how to answer it where it would understand, but I did manage an answer. "You're whatever you want to be." I spoke, slowly getting up. "Nothing can change that fact. Even now."

If it were possible, I think it understood me. Giving me a look of total serenity, the Witch looked around at her surroundings, and sauntered off, the sob still present, but not nearly as eerie, and not nearly as hollow. Satisfied I had done the right thing, I continued my search for Zoey and the others.

My search wore well into the night and, as fatigue began to set into my eyes, I eventually found some sign of civilization. A fire burning in a pit, a pot hanging over the fire, some thick, black liquid inside. Coffee, I think. And there was the most important sign of life. Sleeping bags, and weapons. I dropped my bag. This would be a good place to camp for he remainder of the night. Maybe... just maybe, the Infected in the area wouldn't see me as an uninfected, and see me as one of them.

I crawled into one of the sleeping bags, only to hear a shotgun pump. Swearing to myself I froze.

"Talk." An all-too-familiar gruff voice greeted me.

"I hate guns." I droned, rolling my eyes. The voice went a tad softer.

"Emma?"

"Francis?" I replied, half smiling.

"Hey, old man! Louis, Zoey! Emma's alive!" Francis called back. I got out of the bag and stood up. From part of the woods, I saw the familiar figures of Louis, Zoey and Bill emerge. Bill had an assault rifle slung over his shoulder, a pile of wood in his arms. Louis and Zoey had the same.

"Well, I'll be damned..." the well-dressed black man mused, smiling at me.

"Emma!" Zoey nearly shouted, dropping the wood in her arms and racing to meet me. "I thought you were dead, what happened?"

"I was in the bathroom... I kinda blacked out..."

"Talk about being caught with your pants down..." Bill grinned.

"Yea, that's what I said." I responded, rubbing the back of my head. "So... do we have a plan, and if so, what is it?"

"Well... the radio I had said the marines were evacuating the Uninfected and the Immune in Eastbrooke... that's about an hour's walk from here... we could probably make a last push for Eastbrooke, and be in QZ Theta within two days. The only problem..." Zoey muttered, pulling the trigger on her Assault Rifle. "All four of us are tired, hungry, and ammo-less." Opening the red pack, I opened it to the four.

"Well... I think I have your ammo solution, for now anyway... as for the food..." I noticed a road sign through the trees. Although I couldn't make out any details, I did see the words 'FOOD' on the sign. "That may have our answer. Food places about... oh, half a mile or so up the road. We'll grab something on the way." I pointed to the sign for them.

"Emma..." Francis muttered, reloading his shotgun. "I take back whatever I may have said to you that may have offended you. You're a great person." I smiled half-heartedly.

Ending Author's Note: Yea... I know... I'm a bastard for killing off a ten year old girl. I gave her a burial, didn't I? And a nice prayer too! She has a grave, a headstone, and she's buried with her parents! Happiness even in death. Next chapter begins the REAL action. And Emma's limits will be tested. As will the others.


	5. Cry Witch

Author's Note: Alright, all. Here's the Zombie BBQ part of Cry Witch. HOWEVER, due to certain facts, namely that no one, including myself, likes to read the same passage of dialog over and over again, the redundant theory of zombies dying will not be overindulged. In short, I will not describe the deaths of EVERY SINGLE ZOMBIE they kill. As a matter of fact, the Zombie Slaughter part may get a tad general. But don't worry. I'll make up in Safe House dialog.

Author's Second Note: Sorry, but I had this done, but I didn't have the time to post it before I scuttled off to MegaCon in Orlando, Florida. If you were their, you may have seen me. I was one of the 15 Hunters running around. I was the only one with a Logo'd Hoodie. Don't fear. I have pictures.

Four: "Cry Witch"

_Sometimes to defeat your enemies... you have to become them._

By the time everyone was stocked up, the little red pack was nearly empty. Slinging it over my shoulder, I found myself beside Zoey, as all four of us were lined up.

"So, it's decided, then? We make for Eastbrooke." Bill muttered. "And that means we punch through the zombies... and keep goin'." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Gather up what you can." Louis added in. "Because once we start goin' through hell, we need to keep goin'." There game a general consensus. I, myself, took what I could, which included the coffee pot, after empting it into my system, and a pillow and a pack of band-aids..

"Emma." Zoey began. I looked to her, my heart beating in my chest in anticipation of the massacre to be held. "Here..." She handed me a small fanny pack. "This is a few supplies we managed to salvage from the plane. Since you opted not to take a gun... you should probably carry them..."

"So I feel useful?" I added in more of a joke then anything.

"Well... yea..." Zoey replied bashfully. I took the pack and clipped it around my waist. I gave her a nod and steadied myself.

"Alright, everyone..." Francis sounded. "Time to roast some vampires!"

"You mean zombies?" Zoey and I echoed in unison.

"Yea... them too..." The four survivors, me bringing up the rear, began our trek into the dark, dismal, and very unfriendly forest.

I kept to the back mainly because it made me feel safe standing behind four people with big guns, but also so I could keep an eye on our rears. The Infected, as I've heard, like sneaking up on people like that. I saw the light from the small fire flicker and die in the distance as we moved away. So far, everything was quiet.

Spinning around against a figure in the corners of my eyes, I stared into the darkness.

"Guys... I think we're being followed..."

"Already?" Francis muttered, turning about to look where I was facing. A light growl bounced from the leaves of the trees. "Yea... I hear it..." He grinned. "I hear a Hunter! Come out, you sweatshirt wearin' PUSSY!" Francis shouted. The insult must have struck a chord with the Hunter, as the beast pounced from the shadows, shrieking it's unearthly shriek. I'm not sure if the average Infected, Special or otherwise, can think. But I'm pretty sure as that Hunter pounced from the darkness, only one thought could possibly be running through it's head.

"Fuck me." For as the second Francis saw it pounce, he was ready. The moment the Hunter was about to tackle him to the ground, he landed a very square right hook to the Hunter's face, ruining it's flight arc, sending the beasty tumbling into the woods, out of sight.

"That's right, you pussy! Run!" Francis laughed, re leveling his weapon.

"Are the jeers necessary?" I muttered half to myself. Francis just nodded. "Figures..."

Continuing with all due haste, we found ourselves having to fight a few more of the common, run of the mill Infected which, considering it was four on a couple hundred... we handled pretty well. We eventually came to a small town. The buildings had seen better days, and so too, had the population. Several packs of the Infected wandered about the town's decrepit streets, throwing the occasional blow at the Infected that ran into another. I was the first to speak.

"Jesus Christ..." I muttered. This was the first, real time I had seen the devastation of the world. Normal, everyday people like me... like how I was, cut down in their prime, turned into this. Bill spoke next, and the words he spoke, I took to heart.

"God is dead, kid. No way around it. The caretaker's dead, and the inmates are runnin' amok." He checked the clip. "There's our food place. And from here, it looks not bad off. C'mon. Let's move." Bill took point, leading us through the horde of mindless infected zombies. He tried to avoid as many as possible, taking a few out with a knife he kept in his boot, dragging it across their throats, nearly severing heads.

"God damn, Bill. What did they ever do to you?" Francis asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"They're damn Zombies, Francis. That's what they did." Bill responded, cleaning the knife on a handkerchief and re sheathing it. From this distance, I could make out the Food Palace, a small restaurant chain that I, oddly enough, loved. It was about this time, we saw the first major obstical.

"Shit... I hear a Witch..." Zoey muttered, the soft sobbing assailing my ears. "Kill those lights." She whispered harshly. Everyone's gun-mounted flashlight turned off instantly.

"Hold on..." I muttered, pushing past everyone. Zoey grabbed at my shirt, but couldn't get a grip.

"Emma!" She barked in a hushed voice. "What are you doing?!"

"Trying something..." I took a few tentative steps towards the crying Witch, watching her carefully. Fifteen feet, no sign of acknowledgment. Thirteen feet... nothing... ten... she looks at me, her sobbing stopping. A low, hardly audible grumble emanates from her throat.

"Get away from her, Emma! You're pissin' her off!" Francis barked at me.

"We're the same... You and I..." I muttered to her, holding my hands out. "You and I are just the same, lost souls... can you talk to me, sweetie?" Eight feet, the growling becoming louder. In retrospect, this was probably one of my dumber ideas. At five feet, she got off her feet and began growling loudly, her arms flailing above her head.

"Emma!" Bill barked once more. Three feet. At three feet she released a high-pitched shriek and slapped me across the face with her claws. To a lesser creature, the blow would have killed me. Somehow, I survived, only tumbling to the ground.

"EMMA!" Zoey shouted.

"Don't go out there, Zoey, that Witch'll tear you to shreds!" I threw myself back to my feet, the Witch swinging widely at me, trying to behead me. While strong and fast, it's attacks were also, thankfully, rather predictable. I managed to dodge most of her swings, trying to time my first attack. There was something about it's first attack that struck me as strange. Instead of a slap... the hit was more of a lunging blow. Instead of getting hit with the palm and fingers, I was struck mainly with the heel of her hand, the claws raking off my cheek. Something about this attack... it makes it much, much stronger. I waited for my opportunity.

This was one of those times where I can't exactly remember what happened, but the general idea is pretty clear. Throwing my arms to the side, I mimicked her screech, and copied her attack, lunging and striking her across the head. The blow knocked her to the ground, but she, like me, recovered. I studied her motions carefully, and she studied me. To the outside, this was, at least as it seemed, an epic clash. Two equal powers vying for supremacy. Only one thing sets the two apart.

I happen to be quite agile. I rolled under her straddled legs, coming up behind her, and slapping the back of her head again. She dropped again, recovering slower. Then, the wierdest thing happened.

She hobbled off and, a few meters away, slumped back to the ground and began crying again.

"Great job, Emma. Come on, let's head in..." Bill muttered, tugging on my elbow. I gave a little nod and followed. The red, reinforced door was a heavenly sight. We pumped on towards the safety of paradise.

The shotgun in my face kind of killed the illusion.

"Stop right there..." A portly man muttered, pumping the shotgun, the weapon pointed at all five of us.

"Whoa!" Louis shouted, throwing his hands up. "Hey, man, relax!"

"Sir... please... we're not infected..." Zoey spoke calmly, her hands raised too. The man was shaking, his aim unsteady.

"I know you four aren't..." He muttered, the gun facing me now. "But I'm not sure about her. I've NEVER seen someone single-handedly take down a Witch with their bare hands before... and... I don't like your look girl."

"Sir, she's not infected either... I mean... she is... but... not... sir, please, can we come in, it's very complicated..." Zoey continued. The man only stayed stalwart.

"I'll let her in if she can prove she's not infected."

"Please... sir, my name is Emma Windsor... I know how it looks, but, I'm still the old Emma Windsor I was before... this... I know I look like a Witch... but sir... I'm human at heart." The man dropped the shotgun, convinced by my speech.

"Infected don't talk, so... you're probably alright." He moved out of the way, motioning us in with a throw from his head. "Come on in. I'll watch your backs..." We quickly entered the room, the man shutting the door.

Now that we were away from the chaos and death, I took note of the portly man who greeted us in his most unique of ways. He was slightly shorter then Francis, and considerably more stout. He held the shotgun like a pistol. His white shirt and white apron were stained with a combination of food and blood.

"You five hungry?" He asked.

"Yea... kinda..." I droned. He smiled and chuckled some.

"Tell you what." He began, walking into the kitchen. "I don't think we need any money anymore, but I don't want to do this for free... got anything to trade... ammo is always welcome." I opened my pack and began searching through it.

"What kinda gun is that? Benelli Super 90?" I droned, searching for some twelve guage shells.

"Yea." He replied. I took a few boxes from the backpack, and put them on the counter.

"How's that for the five of us?" I asked, looking to the man. He looked over the boxes, felt their weight and searched the boxes for the ammo. Satisfied that they were live, usable shells, he smiled and pocketed the ammo.

"What'll it be?" he muttered, going from gun-toting fat man to portly, friendly barkeep.

"Cheeseburger please." Zoey answered instantly. "With a glass of water, please."

"I wouldn't suggest water, ma'am. We still don't know how this infection is spread."

"Doesn't matter. The four of us are immune."

"Good. And you four?" The rest of us ran off our orders, our stomachs grumbling in anticipation. I had Country Fried Steak. It was good, but I think he could have used to put a tad bit more gravy on it, but I suppose it's food, and I really shouldn't complain...

"So, any news on evacuations?" Francis asked between bites to eat. The man thought for a second.

"Well, the military still have that radio loop about Eastbrooke... But honestly, I'm not sure. I had a guy come through here about two days ago sayin' Eastbrooke is a bust."

"God dammit..." Bil muttered. "That was our only lead... There has to be some how we get outta here... even if we have to drive ourselves..."

"How is it, exactly, we get ourselves in these messes?" Louis spoke more to himself. Zoey and Francis only shrugged.

I was finished eating first. For some reason, I was incredibly hungry, even though the last thing I remember doing is eating before the crash but... I really had no idea how long ago that was.

"The news stations still broadcasting?" Zoey questioned. The man shrugged.

"Not too sure. I know QZ Alpha's signal comes in clear... we occasionally get QZ Theta's signal, but none of the others." I watched Bill's ears pique.

"Can you send messages?" He asked instantly. The man seemed only momentarily confused about the question, but answered after a few seconds.

"Well, yea... why?" Her droned, taking my plate from me. Bill turned to us instantly.

"We need to get a transmission off to one of the Quarantine Zone's. Theta preferably..." Bill continued.

"Well... my computer has a web cam... you might be able to use that." He rubbed the back of his head. "But... I could never figure out how to work the damned thing..." Louis stood up.

"Let me take a look at it. I can do this."

"You sure, Louis?" Francis muttered.

"Francis... I got Vista to work. If I can do that, Web cams are nothin'." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Long story short, Louis spent about three minutes getting the web cam to work, but eventually managed to get it up. You gotta give him this. Louis isn't very social, but when it comes to electronics and equipment, that man is a god.

"There you go, Bill. It's runnin'."

"Great... Zoey?"

"Huh?" Zoey muttered, looking at him. He motioned to the back room.

"This is more your jurisdiction."

"Whaddaya mean, Bill?" She asked, putting her fork down.

"Zoe, I'm an old man. I don't know how to work those confounded contraptions. You're of the technological era. Go on."

"I'll give it a shot."

"Ah, come on, Zoey!" Louis smiled. "It's just like using a cell phone!"

"The hell is a cell phone?" Bill muttered. We all kinda stared at him. He grinned and waved it off. "I'm just jerkin' yer chains. Could you imagine if I was like that?" I heard Louis give a little chuckle, but more or less, the rest of us didn't find it at all funny. "What? You guys are stones today..."

"Yer just not that funny, Bill. What can we say?" Francis spoke, shrugging. Zoey sat at the computer and began running some program. It was some kind of Instant Messaging program. One of the contacts on it was 'QZA Trans Auth'. I pointed to it.

"What's this?" I asked, pointing to the contact.

"Quarantine Zone Apha's Transportation Authority... I keep it on my Friends list for just such an occasion." Zoey muttered more to the screen. She double clicked on it and began typing. The conversation worked like this:

Z03y: Hey... anyone there?

QZA Trans Auth: This is Quarantine Zone Alpha Transportation Authority. What can I assist you with?

Z03y: I need a favor... I'm in the Infected Zone...

QZA Trans Auth: How the hell you'd get out there?

Z03y: Plane crash...

QZA Trans Auth: Ah. What can I do for you Z03y?

Z03y: I need to speak to Doctor Jake Ballenfield. Do you know where I can find him?

QZA Trans Auth: Yea... I can get him for you. What's the nature of the call?

Z03y: Pick up.

QZA Trans Auth: Of course. Let me get him for you.

Last message sent at 11:38 PM. (This earmarked the last message. The next message was returned a few minutes later.

QZA Trans Auth: Are you still there, Z03y?

Z03y: Still here.

QZA Trans Auth: I have Doctor Ballenfield's screen name. It's X3n0l0rd. He wants to speak to you.

Z03y: I'll send him a message. Thanks, QZATA.

QZA Trans Auth: Anytime, Z03y.

The conversation ended here, with Zoey clicking the X button on the top of the window. She quickly added 3n0l0rd to her friends list, and instantly opened a window. The next conversation went like this.

Z03y: Doctor Ballenfield?

X3n0l0rd: Zoey? So GLaD you're not dead!

X3n0l0rd: And there goes my caps lock again... damn keyboard... Anyways, what can I do ya for?

Z03y: Our plane crashed, and... We need pick up.

X3n0l0rd: Yea, I heard about that... so sorry. Hang on... I've got some good news, but I don't feel like typing... hold on...

Last message sent at 11:43 PM. (This earmarked the last message. The next message came in the form of another announcement.)

X3n0l0rd has invited you to a Video Conference. Accept? (Two little buttons were below this, an 'accept' and 'decline' button. Zoey hit the accept button and turned her web cam on. The visage of a smiling Doctor Ballenfield appeared in a new window over the Instant Message window.

"Zoey! There you are! Hey... that doesn't look like my colleague's lab... where are you, exactly?" he asked, his smile slightly fading.

"I can't say exactly where we are. Our plane crashed, and we just headed east." She spoke. "Maybe you could tell us."

"Can't. But I know what can. Think you can keep the channel open for a few more minutes? Gonna set up a Triangulum to see exactly where you are. Hang on..." He looked down and began typing on the keyboard, looking to another part of his screen, growling the whole way. "Survey says..." He paused, streaching out 'says' as long as he could. "AH HA! There you are... See?" He grabbed the camera and turned it around to face his screen. "Okay.. THIS:" He pointed to a pulsing red dot on the map. "Is where you guys are. THIS:" He pointed to a green dot labeled 'EASTBROOKE'. "Is Eastbrooke. Now, at this rate, you guys are actually closer to Quarantine Zone Theta the Quarantine Zone Alpha. It would be advisable to try to make for Zone Theta then Zone Alpha."

"Doc, that's a three day walk... no way we'll make it!" Louis added. The camera recentered to Doctor Ballenfield's face.

"I know..." He began typing again, looking again at another part of the screen. "Ah... thank you, Jesus..." He smiled. "There's a military patrol in the area of Eastbrooke... I can divert them to pick you up on the outskirts of the city... We can have you out... oh... by one... one thirty at the latest."

"Can you legally do that, Jake?" I asked, thinking about him diverting military patrols.

"Legally, no." He answered. "BUT, I can set a few extra waypoints to make their patrol a wee bit longer. There should be some kind of radio in Eastbrooke. If you can find one, you can contact the patrol on radio frequency..." He looked again at another part of screen. "One two zero point one three..." He looked back at Zoey. "This will allow you to contact the military and call for evac.. but only when they're in the area... their frequency has a... one hundred meter range... so they'll have to be pretty damn close." He smiled, putting his cell phone in front of the camera. "Oh, by the way." He punched a number. "Ringle dingle!" He smiled, a phone ringing in my pocket. I took it out and stared. How'd that get in there?

"How'd that get in there?" I voiced, opening it. "Hello?"

"Heya, Emma. You should use this phone if you need to contact me. Don't hesitate to use it. Even if you just wanna chat."

"How'd this get in here?"

"I put it in your pants while you were unconscious."

"I feel violated..." I muttered.

"Don't. You should probably get moving. I don't know how long the military will be there..."

"Before we go..." Zoey spoke as I hung up. "How'd you hack into the military channels?"

"Psh." He answered, giving the 'fhuggedaboudit' motion. "Computers are like woman. Say the right thing and they'll give you what you want." He looked at my reaction, coupled with Zoey's. "Within reason, of... of course..." He grinned. "I can hack any computer from here to Calcutta. Hell, before the Infection, I could have turned the military's defense network around, grabbed her hair, pulled, called her by name and rode her from here to Funky Town, and not even leave my number." He grinned again.

"Good bye." Zoey spoke, turning the communication off, logging off the IM program.

"So, that's that, then? Eastbrooke for evac?" Bill asked.

"Check." Zoey answered. "Come on."

Ending Author's Note: Zoey's screen name is the 1337 way of spelling her name, where as the 0 replaces the o, and he 3 replaces the e. Doctor Ballenfield's screen name is the 1337 spelling of Xenolord, where the e is replaced with the 3, and the o's are replaced with 0's. Also, my computer was having keyboard problems, so Jake's 'GLaD' problem did actually happen. Plus, it's only the first of many future Steam Game references.

Hope this chapter hasn't disappointed. It'll get better as it goes on. This is more of a bridge, setting up the plot of the following chapters. Enjoy.


	6. Maw of Madness

Five: "Maw of Madness"

We checked our guns and prepared for the dive to the next safehouse. I was satisfied from lunch enough where at least my stomach wouldn't get in the way of things. Besides. It's never a good idea to fight on an empty stomach. Bill said so.

"Never a good idea to fight on an empty stomach, kids." See? Bill checked his gun after talking and put it over his shoulders, checking if his pistol was loaded.

"Sure you don't want to come with us? We can get you out of here?" I asked the portly man once more. He only smiled and waved it off.

"Nah. I'm to big. I'm half afraid I'll slow you down, and half afraid one'a ya would mistake me for a Boomer."

"Hey, I only did that once!" Francis muttered defensively. "It's a bad day when you empty your last two shells from your double-barreled boomstick into your favorite bartender..." He continued, looking away. My phone rang again. Trying not to tear into my pocket, I pulled it out and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Emma?" Came Doctor Ballenfield's voice.

"This is she." I replied.

"Bad news. Tell the others I'm getting some pretty wiggy biosigns in your area."

"Wait... 'wiggy biosigns'... what the hell do you mean?" I heard him sigh over the line.

"Look. I hacked into a military spy satellite to track your progress... I also have access to Infrared scanners, ultraviolet and a bioscanner. I ran the bioscanner around your area, and I'm getting some strange signs. Five humans, one unknown, nothing new... but I also got some other unknowns... I know the one in the building is you... but the others boggle my mind. Look, just be careful, alright? I can't be loosing anyone. Come back alive."

"Right... I'll tell them." I closed the phone, ending the conversation and faced the others, who had heard what I said about biosigns. "We need to hurry. Doctor Ballenfield thinks the virus is mutating again..."

"Did he actually say that?" Louis asked, his face beginning to sweat.

"Well... no... but when he said he picked up 'unknown biosigns', it leaves me to believe it's mutating." I answered.

"Shit." Francis muttered.

"Then that only means we need to be very fast getting out of here." Bill answered, dropping the wrought iron bar, which held the door closed, to the ground. "Everyone ready?" We all gave a nod. Kicking the door open, we exited the restaurant. I was the last one out, shutting the door behind me, I turned around.

"Lock the door, alright? Be safe." I told the man inside.

"I'm safe. You guys are the ones who need to be safe. And if I never see you again, I just want to say..." He took the shotgun from behind the door and showed me, pumping it once. "Thanks for the ammo."

"Thanks for dinner."

"Emma! You're fallin' behind!" Bill shouted ahead of me.

"Be right-" I couldn't finish, feeling something knock me to the ground. It was heavy, and had quite the power in it's pounce. Probably a Hunter. I struggled against the beast, trying to pry it off. Even with my hightened strength, the Infected was too strong... incredible.

"Emma!" I heard Zoey shout. She grunted, giving the Hunter her shoulder, knocking it off me. Recovering quickly, I faced the monster. It was no hunter. This one was seemed to be more feral canine then humanoid. It's red shirt was torn and shredded, six leg-like protrusions coming from it's spine. It's neck was bent in a fashion like a dog, as if it were meant to stand on four legs, not two. It looked at me, it's eyes black and lifeless. I watched it's tongue slither from it's mouth, licking it's lips. The long, serpentine tongue seemed to taste me as it stared into my soul, almost.

"Pretty..." It struggled out, hissing. "Pretty girl..." I stood my ground. This, whatever it was, was no Hunter. Zoey was slowly moving to her side, I hope to get her pistol. A few seconds later, a quick, bright flash, followed by a click blinded the beast, then, only a few seconds later, the bang of a shotgun, and the fountain of blood erupting from it's side was a sign of relief. I watched it crumple to the ground, and struggle to it's feet.

"Come on, Frank West. This is no time for photo ops! Let's go!" Bill grabbed Zoey's left elbow and she, in turn, took my left hand, and Bill lead us away from the... thing. Even as I ran, I could hear it's breathing. It was very feral. The infection had, in essence, turned a normal human into a half canine breed. I heard it's panting as it ran after us.

"What the hell is that...?" Francis shouted as we got closer.

"Don't stand there like a Christmas Tree, Francis, shoot it!" Bill yelled, sliding to a stop behind Francis, drawing his shotgun again and firing. The four armed people leveled their weapons and fired, the mix of shotgun shells and assault rifle ammo perforating the creature, finally, it crumpled to the ground and died.

"Son of a bitch..." I breathed airily, trying to catch my breath. I opened my phone and dialed the only number on the contacts list. The phone rang for several rings before it was answered.

"I know what you're gonna say, Emma..." Doctor Ballenfield's voice came. "And I don't think I can rightfully answer that question. Whatever it is, I wouldn't hang around too long. I don't think it's dead... It's still breathing..."

"Good idea. Let's keep moving." I muttered, closing the phone, getting in with the group, hoping to feel safe.

We moved swiftly, the others reloading as they went, as usual, trying to use as little ammo on the common, run-of-the-paper-mill Infected as possible. But sometimes, you just have to. For some reason, the number of the Special Infected seemed reduced compared to stories I've been told. What happened to one Hunter per fifty common infected? A Boomer per one hundred? A Smoker every seventy five? This didn't feel right... and everyone, especially Bill, knew that.

"Anyone else got that eerie 'somethin's messed up' feelin'? Or is it just me?"

"I feel it..." I muttered, looking about. "Too many pussy Infected... where's the meat?"

"Exactly..." Bill replied, getting into a half-crouch. "And what was up with that Hunter thing? I mean... I don't know what I mean..."

"I don't know, Bill, but I hope it's gone. For good." My ears piqued at something in the distance... A cough. That was more like it. Something we all knew well. A heavy, weighty smoker's cough.

"There we go!" I heard Francis smile, turning around. "Come on out, Smoker! I got a bullet or seven with your name on it!" The rest of us started looking around for the Smoker, hoping a little normality would break up that feeling of eerie not rights we had.

"There it is!" Zoey called, pointing up at a tree. Francis fired a few times, the Smoker using it's tongue like Spider Man to swing away from the bullets. "Over there!" Zoey tracked it, firing her pistol at it, trying to hit the swinging zombie. "Christ, it's fast!" I watched the Smoker swing around a tree branch, landing on it's feet with lithe skill. Fast and agile... It seemed to look right at me before swinging once more.

"Goddammit!" Francis shouted, missing several more rounds. "This thing is impossible to hit! It's like freakin' Spider Man!" I watched the Smoker's motions carefully, trying to spot any glitch or bump in it's motions. I watched it begin a low sweep, almost as if it were moving in to attack. I smirked. As I predicted, the Smoker swooped low, claw out. I waited until the Infected was close, and slapped it out of the air with a single hit from my claws. Bursting into a puff of smoke, the zombie was dead.

"Good shot!" Bill shouted, watching the Smoker's body tumble into the trees.

"Hell of a hand you've got there, Emma..." Zoey muttered.

"Enough banter... let's get out of here..." I felt my insides start to turn inside out. "I'm not feelin' too well..." Zoey put a hand on my back.

"Like... nausious? Or what?" She asked, looking at my face, her hand on my forehead.

"No... like... somethin's comin'." It was about right here where the ground started shaking.

"Oh... hell..." Zoey breathed. "TANK!" She shouted as I heard something roar from the distance. Across the canopy of the forest, I watched a tree shake, then fall, crashing onto the ground below. Another. And another. Something big, mean, and angry this way comes.

"TANK!" Bill shouted as he saw the creature come crashing from the tree line, growling, snarling and roaring all the way, grabbing a tree trunk and hurling it over our heads. Even though it wasn't anywhere near us, we all ducked under it. It was at this time where that Tank made the worst mistake of it's short, horrific life.

It made a bee-line towards Zoey.

Grabbing another trunk, it hurled one again, this one skirting the ground like a bowling ball. Bill and Francis managed to jump over it, Louis dove out of the way, but neither Zoey or I could get out of the way. Zoey tried to jump, but a knot caught her foot, wrecking her height, causing her to collapse to the ground face first.

"Zoey!" I shouted, but should have really been paying more attention. The trunk, after hitting Zoey's foot, bounced off the ground, and hit me right in the face. A dull thud, followed by a loud crack, and all that I saw was black.

I recovered pretty quickly, the treeline starting to swirl around my head.

"...ma?! Where's Emma!?" I heard Francis call.

"I don't know! Kill that thing before it kills Zoey!" I struggled to my feet, trying to shake the feeling of lightheadedness from my brain.

"GRAAAA!" I heard the Tank emit a gutteral growl, as it burst out through the treeline, chasing a small, limping red figure...

"Zoey..." I muttered, I watched with little to do as the Tank hit the small red figure again, this time, the figure collapsed to the ground, failing to stand again. "Zoey...!" I muttered again. "No..." I shook my head again, the image focusing as the Tank closed it. Zoey wasn't moving. Once the fuzzy outside was gone, I watched the Tank raise it's arms to attack once more.

-At That Time-

"Where is it?" Bill shouted to my left.

"Don't look at me! I thought you saw it!" I replied, clearing a small trunk, weapon in hand.

"Francis! Bill! Over here!" Louis called a bit ahead of us. Pumping on, we cleared the trees and into a clearing. The second the trees were behind us, I saw what had Louis in a frenzy.

"Is that..." Bill began.

"It damn well better be Emma..." Raising the assault rifle in my hands to my shoulder, I tried to steady the sights on the massive Tank, trying to dodge the little figure atop the Tank that I could see was Emma. The figure of Emma was moving around too much, I couldn't get a good bead on it.

"Dammit! She's movin' too much! Can't get a shot!" I growled, lowering the weapon and charging. We were about... thirty feet away when I could hear Emma's growls and shrieks, the Tank trying to pry her off. Digging her hands into the creature's back, she grabbed something and yanked, the Tank's spine tearing clean out of it's back. Roaring in a possible mix of anger and pain, the behemoth attempting to remove Emma from him. Discarding the Tank's spine, she dug both hands into the exposed flesh, pulling apart it's body like a hotdog bun.

Only shortly after this horrific act was finished, did the Tank die... in two pieces. But Emma wasn't done quite yet. I watched as she screeched like some crazed, blood-thirsty banshee, straddle the Tank's shredded left half and begin turning it into Tank Cutlets. I just watched, studying her motions... Honestly... she was really starting to scare me.

After she was exhausted from the exertion, she shrieked and began lumbering towards the motionless Zoey. Reacting to, what I thought would happen next, I raised the assault rifle to my shoulder, and fired three rounds.

-At That Time-

Panting, I could slowly see the red at the corners of my eyes subside, beginning to regain control of my body. My legs were weak and tired, and I couldn't feel my hands, and something covered my face, running down my mouth and chest. A soft crying assailed my ears. My rage nearly instantly subsiding, I turned around and knelt down at Zoey's side. She wasn't moving, but I could hear her crying softly.

"Hey... Zoey... it's me... come on, you're gonna be-" I was cut off by three loud bangs, and three sharp pains in my back and side. The force of the impact caused me to loose footing and stumble a few feet back. The shade of red my eyesight had been darkened in only deepened. I turned to where the gunshots came from, my sights set on the figure of Francis, his gun hiked to his shoulder. Growling out of anger, I charged towards him, hands out. I managed to cover the twenty or thirty foot distance in around three seconds, stopping right on a dime mere inches from his face. "You IDIOT!" I shouted, shoving hard on his shoulders, knocking him to the ground. "I'm on your side!? Did you forget?!" He looked at me with what appeared to be... fear... in his eyes. Was he scared of me? Of what I could do? I can't say. I simply turned away from him and dashed back to Zoey's side. She was trying to get up, but I could see by the look in her face that the pain was too much.

"Here..." I muttered, taking her lightly by the arms and helping her up. "That's it... come on... It doesn't look too bad. You'll pull through." Right as I got her back onto her feet, she let out a little squeak, collapsing back to the turf.

"Ow... I... I think my leg's hurt..." She rubbed the upper part of her left leg, wincing in pain. I crouched down and put an arm around her back, and the other under her knees. "Emma... don't. I'll just slow you down."

"Not much can slow me down, Zoey. Come on, we'll get you to safety.

"Emma..." I heard Francis' voice behind me. "Look, I'm sorry... I saw what you did to that Tank... and I saw you move to Zoey..." He sighed. "Look, Emma, I'm real sorry... I kinda... panicked..." I looked him over and gave him a little nod.

"No use us fighting. It's okay. Sorry about shoving you down like that." He gave me a little smile and a nod.

"Hey guys!" Louis' voice came from a distance away. "Safehouse up ahead! It's close!" He began, motioning us onwards with his gun. From behind us, I could hear the growing din of an closing Horde.

"Good... start running." I breathed a reply as the Infected shot from the trees.

Ending Author's Note: SO SORRY about how long this took. My computer screen broke, and couldn't do jack until it was fixed. Sorry again about the wait.


	7. Rise of the Triad

Author's Note: Be prepared, fellow users. For you are about to encounter the most insane, out there and possibly stupidest variation of a classic movie monster since the abomination that was Twilight. For you are about to witness the world's first Magic-Using "Zombie". Fear not, for explanations shall be abounds.

Six: "Rise of the Triad"

Bill was the first of us into the next safehouse, followed closely by Francis, then Louis, then me, carrying the injured Zoey. After entering, Bill kicked the door shut behind me, the heavy, wrought iron door slamming shut, crushing the faces of several zombies. I stopped to catch my breath, Zoey's weight, while comparatively not much, was starting to wear on my back and shoulders.

"We should be safe in here, for a while." Bill spoke softly, putting the shotgun against the wall. "Francis, help me clear this table. Zoey's gonna need some quick medical attention." The gruff, apparently easily spooked biker nodded and started to remove the ammunition pile from the table, and the few, scarce weapons there on, and motioned me to put her down.

Zoey was groaning in extreme pain in my arms, almost writing where she was. It wasn't just her leg that was injured. It was apparently her whole body. Which I don't think anyone in the room found all that surprising, considering a five hundred pound mass of muscle and bone threw her around like a ragdoll for a few minutes. The shear fact she's even still alive amazes me. Zoey was a strong girl, both mentally and physically.

Laying her gently on the table, I stepped back and looked her over. There was a bulge in the lower part of her jeans... probably a bone. She was in bad shape.

"Dammit... if only we had a medic here..." Bill muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Emma Windsor. Mercy Hospital. Registered Nurse.

Those six words flooded back into my mind. In my past life, I was a nurse... but how much of my medical training did I retain? Closing my eyes, I tried to recall something... anything. Broken bones... broken bones... set the bone, and wrap it in a bandage...

"Hang on... I think I can do this... Zoey..." I muttered, leaning closer to her. "This is gonna hurt a lot. I need you to hang on, okay?" Gritting her teeth, the young girl nodded. I could already tell, before even doing anything, that this was going to hurt a lot. Putting a hand on the bone, I made a few test prods, trying to see exactly how the bone was going to be put back in. Looked to be just a straight in deal. "Francis, hand me something I could use as a gag... like a piece of leather or something..." I called to Francis, hoping there was something around here like that. He looked about the room, finally coming upon a rather packed roll of gauss, rolled up into a thick log.

"How's this?" He asked, handing me the gauss roll.

"Perfect... alright, Zoey..." I pushed on her chin some with the knuckle of my thumb. "Bite down on this. Don't want you breaking any teeth." She grabbed the gauss in her mouth and nodded. "Alright... hang on..." Place a palm over the broken bone, I kept my strength in mind. I didn't want the shard to get set in her leg, only to come flying out the other end. "Three..." I muttered, giving her ample warning. "Two..." I continued, steadying myself for the job. "One..." She shut her eyes tight and clenched onto the gauss roll. "Zero!" With a little shove, I managed to push the bone back into her leg, the soft 'crunch' of the bone telling me it was set. Though the gauss I could hear her cry of pain. Zoey's breathing became harsh in the aftermath. It hurt, but it was needed.

"There... all done. No pain, no gain, know what I mean." Still struggling to breath, the battered girl nodded. Turning her head to the side, she spit the gauss log out.

"Allow me to be the first to say 'that hurt like a bitch'." She groaned, sitting up on the table.

"Whoa there, killer." I muttered, pusing on her chest with a hand. I watched her cheeks flare shortly at the touch. "You're not going anywhere for a few hours. Not until that sets." Bending down some, I took a piece of wood that had splintered from the overhead rafters and broke it in half over my knee. I picked up the discarded gauss and unwrapped some. Placing the piece of wood on her leg, I wrapped with makeshift splint around the injury.

"Thanks, Emma..." Zoey smiled, the pain subsiding. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't with us..."

"Oh, I know exactly what would have happened." I replied, finishing the job. "You'd have died. Plain as that." I gave her a little coy smile. "I'd never let you die. Not on my watch." From my pocket, the phone rang. I carefully removed it and answered.

"Ah, you're still alive. Fantastic." Doctor Ballenfield spoke. "So, how was your little trip? And more importantly, how's Zoey?" He asked, the sound of clicking over the line.

"She's fine. Broken leg, but she'll make it."

"You need to-" He spoke, apparently trying to tell me how to do what I just did.

"I fixed her leg." He paused.

"Oh did you?" He asked. "Awesome sauce. But, that aside... we've got a problem..."

"What problem?" I asked, the smile fading from my face.

"The next safehouse is about... forty feet from your current position..." I looked about and tried to figure out how that was bad.

"And that's bad... how?"

"Dammit, woman! Don't you watch horror movies!?" He nearly shouted over the phone. "The closer the two safe areas are, the more danger between them!" He sighed. "Look... just be careful. The little bugger that seemed to take a liking to you, Emma, got up and moved. I've lost it's biosign."

"Alright... we'll be careful..."

"Good. Now... I have good news!"

"Oh?"

"I've made the area outside the pickup point for you. The Military will be there in... twenty minutes. You should probably be out there to meet them."

"You're right. I'll see if Zoey can move, and we'll head out."

"Good. Oh, and Emma... FYI... if she CAN'T move, have Francis carry her, not you."

"Why the hell not? I can carry her no problem."

"That's not why." He replied, taking, what sounded like, a sip of some liquid. "The problem is... well... You'll see."

"I hate it when you say that." I growled, rubbing my eyes.

"I know." He seemed to smile on the other end. I hung up and growled some again.

"Sometimes, I just wanna kill him..." I muttered to the phone.

"What's the news?" Louis asked, checking the area where we just left from, the horde milling about, trying to find us.

"Pick up is twenty minutes out. We need to be out there to meet them. Hey, Francis... can you carry Zoey?"

"Sure... I guess..." He responded, giving me his gun. "If you hold onto this for me."

"Can do. Come on." Before we started to move, there came a thumping from the door we came in from. A loud, persistent, obnoxious thumping.

"What the devil is that...?" Bill whispered, looking around the room. My eyes did a similar patrol about the room, looking for the source. The sound began to climb upwards... something was _climbing_ the safehouse wall... but why...

"Why would it climb up?" Francis asked. I looked directly about me, to where a skylight was.

"THAT'S why! There's a skylight up there! Bill! Louis! Lock and load! Francis, protect Zoey!" From above, a massive ball of meat fell from the light, landing on the table where Zoey was not a few moments ago. It was another one of those beasts that jumped on me earlier. Only this one had... what appeared to be a second head forming from it's shoulder. As it stared at me, it's second forming head shook, growing fully onto it's shoulder. A shiver ran down my back. These things were tenacious. Wrapping my fingers around Francis' gun, I wielded it like a sword. I growled some myself, staring at the monster.

"Come on, you ugly fucker! I've seen your kind bleed! I can kill you, too!"

"Pretty lady..." The beast hissed to me. Wait... it can't be... the same one, can it? I steadied myself, weapon in hand. One head bit at me, an attack I answered with a clock across the head with the stock of the assault rifle. It stumbled back some, the blow affecting it, but it didn't seem too concerned. I dropped the makeshift baseball bat and readied my other weapon, my claws. I took a step back and planted my foot down on a rather sharp piece of concreate.

"God damn..." I shouted, trying to resist the urge to hold my foot. "Damn me for not having shoes! I could really use them right now!" I grumbled, trying to keep an eye on the Infected. It seemed to think that was a prime time to attack, as it pounced once these words left my mouth. Reacting, I jammed my hand under it's chest and heaved the creature over my head, slamming it into the wall, right next to Louis. Then, the strangest thing happened.

Louis closed in to melee it with his shotgun, but it simply shoved him away. It didn't even pretend to acknowledge his presence, it just discarded him. This thing... seemed hell-bent on attacking only me. It pounced again, this time managing to actually hit me. It's strength was twice what I remembered, I couldn't even move to pry it off. Several assault rifle rounds echoed off the walls, the bullets hitting the creature in the rear. Tumbling over me, it shook the shock away and looked dead at me again. Before I could try to get up, Bill's hand was in my face.

"Come on, kid, I'm twice your age, and I could take more then that!" He taunted. It was an encouraging taunt though, one that said I would be fine. I took his hand and yanked me up, getting me back on my feet. Once more, the Infected pounced, this time, to get my fist to both of it's faces. Recoiling from the hit, it went down. Sprinting over to it, I straddled it's body and dug my hand into it's back, shredding several tendons and limbs. Grappling it by the scruff of it's neck, I finally settled in heaving the Hunter-Wannabe over my head and lobbing it away into a nearby wall.

Stepping into the front of the rank came Louis with his shotgun. He pumped it once, pointed the barrel at it's first head and pulled the trigger, brain matter splattering across the floor. He pumped again and fired a second time into it's gut, and a third into it's lower abdomen. He kicked it once and looked at us in sequence.

"Someone tell me that was not the same one... that we killed not ten minutes ago..."

"Christ I hope not..." Zoey groaned, holding onto Francis as he helped her hobble away.

"Come on, we gotta move." Bill grunted, wrenching the barricade bar from the exit door. He gave it to me. "Here you go, sweety. Something to add a home run to your slug." I nodded and accepted the weapon, tucking Francis' assault rifle under the backpack, keeping it safe. Louis kicked the door open and darted out, followed closely by Bill.

The open field was too ominous for my liking.

"Those fools... those mindless, blood-thirsty fools... they don't know what gift this is!" I heard a voice ramble. "This curse... this infection... it's good... it's wonderful... it's FANTASTIC! They don't know what they HAVE!" The voice let out a cackling laugh. "Oh, but I know better then them! I know better then ALL of them! I'll show them! I'll show ALL of those mindless, dribbling IDIOTS!" Zoey stepped on a twig. "Who's there?! Who is it!? Come out!" He shouted.

"Who is that?" I whispered. I took a look through one of the bushes into the field ahead. Looking about was a tall, lanky figure wearing a full length medieval style cloak, the hood pulled up. "Hello!" I called out through the trees. He turned to face me, but I couldn't see through the darkness at his face.

"Hehe haha!" he cackled, sauntering over towards me, his legs crippled to where he could only move in a half limp, half shuffle, his hands raised up at chest height. "I hear you... But I can't see you... Hum..." From where I was I could hear him sniff around at the air. "Ah... a... woman... no... two of them..." He cackled again. "Two woman and three men... You're... You're all immune! He... he he..." Wobbling our way he started a slow cackle. "I'm going to have fun with you... come here..." One hand slipped from under the sleeve of his robe, a long sharp claw glistening lightly in the moonlight. He gave the 'come here' hand motion. I stepped out of the trees.

"Emma!" Zoey barked in a stifled whisper. "He could be one of them!"

"Nonsense. He can talk!"

"Explain the claws!" Francis muttered. I replied by simply holding my hands out. "Oh... oh, I suppose that makes sense... think he's a Revenent?"

"Ha... ha ha! Revenent! I knew it! You know Doctor Ballenfield!" The figure continued. "So, the crazy has finally sent someone out looking for me..." He chuckled again, drawing a few inches closer. "Well... Pity you found me..."

"How do you know Doctor Ballenfield?" I questioned, standing my ground against the sudden cold. He let out a raspy chuckle.

"Oh... he and I worked together... Black Mesa... Aperture... we have a long history..." From the bowels of his concealing robes, he produced an empty vial with a cork top. "Here... this should explain it..." He tossed the vial my way, which I caught in my free hand. Turning it around, I read the label.

"F. E. V.?" I asked, looking at him. I caught a smile from beneath the shaded hood.

"The Forced Evolutionary Virus... our life's work summed up in three simple letters..." He replied, taking a few shuffles to the left, then the same number to the right. "It was a way to weed out humanity's inherit flaws, allowing a forced evolution to make them obsolete... the theory was they evolved better then they were... In a way... we were right..."

"Wait... Doctor Ballenfield said a colleague stole the virus..."

"I did." The man responded. "I took the FEV because that arrogant, self-serving Ballenfield wouldn't release it! 'It needs more testing' he told me! PAH! It told him it was perfect! That it would work!" He cackled madly, a shrill howl echoing in the night. "The FEV worked perfectly! Everything we wanted it to do it did! Hate..." He muttered, lumbering another step forward towards me. "Greed..." He slithered once more, another step he took. "Lust and rage!" He shouted one final time, dropping the hood. His face was scarred beyond belief, his eyes were red and placid, he definitely had the infection. "We eliminated them all! And with them..." He tore the robe off, his bare chest carved with symbols representing demonic runes and sinister powers. His legs were bent, spread apart. His stance was similar to Smoker's, his arms and hands crafted into razor sharp claws. His fangs encroached past his lower lips, his messy hair drenched in dirt and blood. He cackled maniacally, his mouth open, the breath visible in the low light.

"And with them... came humanity itself!" He looked around as the other survivors came to my side. Something in the back of my mind began to speak to me. "These... Infected you call them... these Infected shall be the harbingers of a new age... these ones you call the Common... they shall be my soldiers... the Hunters... Boomers... Tanks, Smokers and... and yes, dear..." He looked at me with a slight shimmer in his eyes. "Even you... They shall all be the progenitors of a new race! MY new race."

"I don't like where this vampire's goin'..." Francis muttered.

"They're not Vampires, Francis they're..." Louis started. "Never mind..." The voice in the back of began to get louder. I could slowly begin to understand the words.

"Come...." They spoke to me. "Come my little dewdrop... come to my side and be with me for eternity..." Clasping my hands over my hears, I tried to stop the voices.

"Emma?" Zoey asked, looking to me.

"Soldiers arise!" I heard the man call. "Stand and fight!" Despite the pain and agony of the words, I held my head up long enough to catch a glimpse of a small army of the Common Infected begin to amass around him. "Bring victory at last, on this cold, dark night!" More Infected surrounded him then I've seen in any one place at any one time. Shuffling his stance some, grinning like a madman as the voices grew. I was forced to my knees against the sweet, beautiful things in my head. But they weren't. Behind the candy and nothings, I could hear that harsh, raspy laugh.

"Emma?" Zoey asked, kneeling to my side, and hand placed gently on my shoulder. "What's wrong, Emma?"

"My head..." I muttered through my teeth. "My head feels like it's going to explode..."

"Don't fight it, dear... just give in!" The voice continued, every part of my mind feeling that it could explode at a moment's notice. Zoey's other hand fell on my other shoulder.

"Something's wrong with Emma! Francis! Bill, shoot that bastard!" Zoey barked as I dropped to a knee, the whispered voices growing in volume and pitch.

"Get... out..." I groaned, my eyes shut, and both elbows on the ground. "Get out of... my head." The surrounding area began to blacken... I felt my heart beat begin to slow... then that sadness returned.

All I could see was blackness. Images of grief and sadness filled my head as the tears came back. As though something was flooding my head with pain and agony. I could still hear select things from the outside. Several gunshots, and a shriek, followed by a parade of footsteps, and more gunshots. I felt my body fall to the ground, the dull thud echoing in the darkness...

I awoke what felt like seconds later.

"Oh, thank Christ, she's coming too... Come on, Emma... come on.." My eyes slowly opened, weighed down with some unknown baggage. Zoey was kneeling over me, lightly slapping my cheek, trying to get me awake. The stars twinkled behind her, the pungent stench that I've identified as a unholy mix of Bill's cheap cigars and Francis' natural body oder assailed my nose, which was more to thank for waking me up.

"I'm awake..." I groaned, looking about to Zoey. "What happened?"

"Them." Zoey muttered, letting me to sit up, my eyes falling on the gunmetal color of the US Army APC. I smiled. We were home free. From the rear of the vehicle came a tall man in military fatigues. He held an M16 at chest hight, ready for anything. He came to a stop over me, and pointed the gun at me. "Seriously... I'm tired of having guns pointed at me..." I batted the barrel away. "Put that thing away before you hurt someone." In retrospect, now that I see, that was probably not a smart thing to do. He cold have easily shot me on site. The man seemed a bit on edge. Bill placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax, soldier. She's on our side." The aging soldier told him, storing his own weapon. The soldier nodded.

"Alright, everyone, get on board." Louis spoke, ushering us into the APC. Francis and Bill gave me a hand standing, and Francis continued to help the still-hobbling Zoey onto the transit.

"What happened?" I asked haphazardly.

"That thing was about to send his minions at us, when the Military showed up and gunned everything down. Sadly, the controller got away." She answered, taking a seat on the APC.

"YOU! Don't let them escape!" A voice boomed in the distance. I rolled my eyes.

"Persistent bugger, isn't he?" I growled, grabbing the handle above my head. Clambering aboard, we all started buckling in, ready for the long, relaxing ride to Quarantine Zone Theta. We all got buckled as one of the soldiers began closing the door. I looked about, something in the back of my mind. Something too familiar. From the closing hatch, a smoker's tongue wrapped around the unrestrained Zoey and yanked her from the APC.

"EMMA!" She called from outside. Grabbing the buckle and wrenching my seatbelt out, I bolted to a standing position.

"Zoey!" I growled. I gave a point to the soldier who was closing the door. "Open it!" I commanded.

"Emma! You can't go out there!" The hatch began to re-open. Staring out, I saw the mobs and mobs of Infected which had amassed outside. Watching the red spot that was Zoey being dragged through the crowed caused Bill's words.

"Going out there is suicide, kid... she's dead... face it..." Bill motioned the APC soldier to begin closing the door again. I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the APC side.

"Open that god damn door and keep it open, or I'll send you straight to hell in a body bag!" He nodded, his eyes filled with fear and a mix of loathing and respect. I stepped outside, Zoey's cries of pain echoing.

The next thing to leave my mouth was a shriek. Piercing the unholy din came the dull sounds of my footsteps against the grass. I ran head long towards the patch where Zoey disappeared in. The Infected seemed to mass into a wall to stop me. Mistake.

Hitting the wall of bodies full sprint, claws out, caused the first rank to either crumble at my feet, or stumble to the left or right, out of my way. Those who could not escape, were cut down where they stood. My arms flailing before me were razor sharp death machines... ones under, for once, my control. The Infected finally parted, revealing the Smoker's location. It's back was turned as it was trying to tear Zoey apart. Grabbing it's head in two places, I twisted, popping it's neck like a soda bottle cap. With the loss of the smoker's life, the grip the tongue had faded, the long piece of flesh falling lip to Zoey's feet. The moment the tongue fell, so did the girl. Collapsing to the ground, defenseless, I could only pray she was even still alive. The Run-Of-The-Mill Infected began to swarm her, ready to attack. Instinct wrested control.

Breaking the circle of mindless, crazed half-humans, I stradled Zoey under my legs, arms up. Looking threateningly at the Common Infected, I shrieked several times, giving them the unintelligible order to back off. Most did as they were told. A few took a couple tentative steps forward, actions I rewarded with death. The shredded remains of the few stupid Infected kept the rest of the majority at bay, allowing me to pick Zoey up. I heard her crying in my arms. I was both relieved and pained at the sound. She was hurt, again, but she was still alive. The Infected parted, clearing a path to the APC. The door was still open, with Bill, Francis and Louis shooting out at the occasional Infected. I trudged slowly back to the vehicle with the broken girl in my hands.

My feet slapping on the cold metal floor was a sign of relief. The soldier at the door closed it as I put Zoey on one of the benches lengthwise, placing her head in my lap. Bill knocked twice on the door and muttered a very curt, very quiet 'drive'. The APC engine rumbled to life, and we made our escape.

"Where to?" The soldier asked us, being quiet.

"Where's the nearest Quarantine Zone?" I responded rather quickly, my hand rubbing Zoey's hair automatically.

"Theta." He answered.

"Good. We'll head there. That's where we were headed before the plane crashed." I watched Louis, Bill and the Biker take seats on the opposite side to me, buckle in, and close their eyes, Bill and Louis falling asleep near instantly.

Author's Note: Another long update, I know. I'm sorry. I hope you're not disappointed. Next chapter is called "Home Coming". I will warn you now: It's gonna have some EmmaxZoey goodness, so don't read if Yuri pisses you off.


	8. Homecoming

Author's Note: The following chapter contains explicit text and descriptions which may (More like will be) inappropriate for children under the physical age of 18, (Or 21, depending where you're from) or adults under he mental age of 18 (Or 21, depending where you're from). It also contains material and situations inappropriate for the quote unquote 'Homophobes' of the group. If you feel uncomfortable seeing two girls relaxing, then you may leave.

Seven: "Home Coming"

The slight undulation of the APC was slowly lulling me to sleep, magic it had already worked on Louis, Bill and Francis. Pretty much only Zoey and I were still awake, but I could feel my eyes become heavier. Maybe it was the gentle rocking of the armored car, or the slight sounds of the acoustic version of 'Still Alive' playing over the speakers, but the ride was very soothing. I didn't want to fall asleep... too much has happened over the last few hours for me to sleep now. I just needed something to focus my eyes on. I looked at my lap, Zoey's eyes closed, but I could still see the slight motion in her eyes, a side effect of REM sleep. I took a quick look at the bandages the soldier who was kind enough to hold the door for me, who I recently discovered was a Military Medic, applied an hour ago. The pain killers she carried seemed to do what they were supposed to, dulling the pain in her enough so she could sleep. A slight tap came to my shoulder.

"We'll be arriving at QZ Theta in two hours." The soldier told me. Mouthing a thank you, I put my head on the cushioned area behind me and closed my eyes, trying to get some sleep myself. My left arm fell limp over Zoey's stomach, my right resting at my side.

"Emma?" A little voice came from my lap. Opening my eyes once more and looking down, I smiled to Zoey.

"Hey. Look who's up. How are you feeling?"

"I still hurt a little..." She repiled, struggling to sit up. "But I'll be fine." She took a look over at the boys. "Looks like they're wiped, huh?" She giggled a little, and sighed. "We've been through a lot, you know... the four of us..." She shook her head. "It seems like we can't get away from this infection... This... what did he call it? F.E.V.?" She scanned her body at the medical attention she was given. "I sometimes feel like I'm slowing everyone down... They forge ahead, and they have to backtrack for me..."

"You're alright. Don't worry..."

"I even feel..." Zoey muttered, looking up to me with a tear forming in her eye. "I even feel that... sometime... they're just going to leave me..."

"Zoey... that's crazy talk. They're not going to leave you. Not while I'm here. You stood up for me in the Airport, remember? What were your words? 'If she stays, so do I'? When you said that... if they didn't want you, they would have let you stay. They need you as much as you need them. Trust me." Zoey smiled at me as I wiped the tear away.

"Emma... you're too nice to me..." She scooted closer, snuggling up to me. "I'm glad you came along." I moved my other hand behind her to support her as she lifted herself onto my lap. We sat like this for a few moments, her arms around my neck to brace against the slight rocking of the APC, and me trying to stop my heart from pounding out of my chest. Her grip tightened slightly around me neck. "Emma... Can I..." She muttered a little, her eyes looking at the back door, not focused on me. Her grip tightened around my neck. He head turned to face me again, digging into my shoulder. "Can I just... stay like this for a moment..." Putting my other arm around her, I could feel the resonation from her heart. From the depths of my pocket, the phone rang, startling both of us.

"Don't answer that..." Zoey muttered. "Let it ring..." She nearly cooed. I simply let the phone ring and vibrate in my pocket. A few seconds later, the ringing stopped. "Emma..." Zoey began again, her eyes looking up to me with some strange look. "I know you don't remember much... but..." She tried to find the right words for whatever it was she was trying to say. "Did you have anyone... before the Infection?" I thought as hard and as far back as I could remember.

"No... I can't seem to pick anything out. Can't even remember a name. So... official answer is no." I responded with a bit of a smile. This only seemed to sadden Zoey.

"I did..." She muttered. "I told the others a story when you were under hypnosis..."

"Yea... I think I heard it in the back of my mind as you spoke. I guess I wasn't fully under..." I muttered, my head hitting the cushion once again. "Charlene was her name, right?"

"Yea... Her and I... we were more then Roommates..." She sniffed once. "We studied together, ate together... We were almost like..."

"Sisters?"

"Sisters..." She sighed. Rubbing a solitary tear from her eye, she continued. "One day.. about... two months before the Infection, she came back from class in tears... she told me she was... she was raped on her way back from class..." My eyes widened in surprise. Humans are cruel and kind all in one. "I found the guy that night... turned his face into..." She laughed a little, then winced in pain. "...Turned his face into a Picasso painting..." I felt a chuckle come on, but I suppressed it. "When I came back later that night, I had blood on my hands and clothes... Charlene thought I was the one who got beat up... When I told her the story... I've never seen her so happy in my life... She smiled, and pulled me into bed with her..." She adjusted her position, her arms in a more comfortable position for both of us, her rear now seated more firmly on my lap.

"After that... I always protected Charlene... I was always the first one to step to the plate, and the last to back down when she was involved." She sniffed again, quickly wiping her face. "In her last few weeks of life... she lived with the consequence of our actions... words got around that school... always had, always will. They started whispers in the hallways... As we walked past, even separately, we could hear them. 'Dykes' they called us... 'Gold-Star Lesbians', 'Rug-Munchers'... horrible names... When Charlene... died... I vowed that... when this Infection's over... when everything returns to normal... I'd never have those feelings towards another woman..."

Why is she telling me this? Is there some reason she's telling me her life story? I mean... it's... it's not like I don't care but... why? Maybe she's just got things to get off her chest... lots of weird shit happening recently, so I don't blame her for needing to vent of steam. I could use a little venting myself... if I only knew what to vent about... Maybe needing shoes... I could go on and on about how much I would LOVE a pair of Reebok's.... or Converses... just shoes! Something to cover my feet... which were starting to hurt right about now. I understand the pain of being chastised about being who you are, living your life the way you want to, but why spill it to ME? Why not Bill or Louis or...

Wait...

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Whoa! Is she telling me this because she... because she loves me...? Is that it? Is she seeing me as a way to cope with losing Charlene? Ai... too much to take in... But... why am I not shocked about that? Why is it that I'm not shocked to come to that conclusion? Or... disgusted? No... not disgusted. But... why does these words... this thing she's indirectly telling me... why does it seem so natural to me?

"Emma?" She muttered. I looked at her, realizing I was deep in thought, probably ignoring what she was saying.

"Sorry... thinking..." I responded. "I got everything before you never having those feelings towards another woman again." Zoey looked around nervously.

"Emma, I'm telling you this... because... I've broken that promise..." She ran the back side of her hand down my cheek, looking me in the eyes. "I've broken it... by falling in love with you..." She whispered, so the soldier wouldn't hear. I turned my eyes to him and motioned to the APC Cabin door with slight look. He nodded and did as I asked.

"Zoey..."

"Shh." The brown-haired, blue-eyed girl cooed. "Please... just let me... let me speak... I have to say this..." She swallowed hard. "I know... you probably have someone... someone who loves you, and waits for your return... maybe you do, maybe you don't. I can't say. And... I also can't say you feel the same... But Emma... I know you feel something... otherwise... you wouldn't have come back for me all those times..." She inched her lips closer to my face. I could feel her warm breath against my neck and cheeks. Her voice dropped to hardly audible. "Please... tell me you feel something... anything... tell me your heart pounds when I hold you... tell me your palms sweat at my name... tell me your mouth waters when you think about me... tell me you want to hold me... tell me anything."

It's true. All of it. I can't look at her without my heart stopping and restarting... What do I say? Before all this... did I have a boyfriend... or a girlfriend? They say you can never forget some things... so parts of us are engraved into our very DNA. Is sexual preference one of these things I'll always remember?

The brown-haired girl pulled away, a look of pleading anguish plastered on her lips and eyes. I stared long and hard a her, trying to read her face, her thoughts, anything. I wanted to know... if it were true?

"Zoey..." I started, settling on this awkward silence breaker while my mind raced. I blinked twice and shook my head. "Ah... how the hell do I word this...?" Her face twitched, her slight smile slowly morphing into a frown. I carefully ran my hand through her hair, the fine, thin follicles rolling across my fingers and palm. She closed her eyes for a second with the touch. "Zoey... I don't know how to say this... I don't really know how to explain it myself... but..." I sighed. "My heart does pound when you touch me. My palms do sweat when I hear your name... and my mouth waters every time you enter my dreams, every time you walk past... everything... I can't explain it, but... I don't think I want to understand OR explain it... I just want you..." I couldn't help the words my mouth was spewing, but I knew it was true. All I could do was talk and pray this wasn't some hoax Zoey was playing on my heart.

Her slight frown quickly turned to a smile as she held on. Her eyes started to water in joy, her grip tightening around my neck.

"Emma... I knew you felt the same way! From the first time I saw you I-" I placed a slender claw on her lips, silencing her.

"Less talk. More action." I soothed, pulling her head in closer, planting a light kiss on her lips, the warmth of her breath a sweet afterthought. Zoey, apparently however, wasn't satisfied by just one. The moment I pulled away, she pushed back forward, kissing me a little harder, her hands on the back of my head, one leg pulling up towards her.

"Oh, Emma... I had always hoped..." Turning her head to the side, she dragged her tongue up my neck, from collar to just under my ear, the sensation sending a spike of pleasure bouncing around my brain.

"Zoey... don't you think we should... you know... not do this here?" I whispered quietly. She broke a series of kisses to my neck and cheek to respond.

"Why's that, Emma?"

"Well... what would..." I stared at the sleeping Bill, Louis and Francis. "What would they think? What would Louis think if he figured out we're... you know... lesbians?" She sat upright and faced me, looking over her shoulder to the trio.

"Fuck them!" She answered rather bluntly. "If they can't accept what I am... what we are... we'll just..." She searched for the answer. "We'll just run away! Just you and I! We'll move to Florida... we'll move to Florida, away from this Infection, and live out our lives watching Days of Our Lives, and going to Disney!" She planted another kiss on my neck, under my jaw. "We don't need anyone... just each other... We can't go living our lives in other people's shadows, afraid of what everyone thinks of us!" I heard the phone in my pocket ring again. I made a motion to grab it, but a single touch from Zoey stopped me. "Don't... don't ruin this moment..." She pleaded, holding a hand to my pale, cold cheek. "Please... don't ruin this for us..."

"Emma...we both know we have something special... we can't deny our feelings to each other... can we? Can you look me in the eyes and deny what your heart tells you? No one can, and no one should!" Her eyes began tearing. "Please..."

"Okay... but... let's try to at least be modest around them... figure out what they think..." Zoey smiled at my suggestion and drew her fingernail across my face.

"Okay, Emma. We'll do that." I kissed her with another tender touch, my way of thanking her. The APC jerked violently around some, slamming my head hard against the cushion, the vehicle rumbling to a stop.

"We hit something?" I heard the groggy voice of Louis mutter.

"Yea... a whale..."

"There's not gonna be a damn whale this far inland, Francis! Use your head!" Bill grumbled, unbuckling. Mentally swearing, I got up. "Where you off to, Emma?"

"To see what the deuce we hit."

"We didn't hit anything!" The driver's voice came from up front. "Something hit us! It's coming around back!" Opening the door, I watched as the same beast from before, the tenacious one with two heads, landed before me, this time, with three fully functional heads.

"You're kidding me. You again?" I muttered as the flesh beast stared through darkened eyes. "I really don't have time for you, and considering you interrupted something... I'm in no mood."

"Pretty..."

"Yea, yea, pretty girl, I know! You're an ugly mother fucker... and I don't like you." I balled my hand into a fist as best as I could, and gave one last sentence. "Stay down this time!" I slugged the creature with a strong right hook, my fist hitting all three heads in sequence, rendering it unconscious. The body dropped with a dull thud, each head hitting separately. Rubbing my hand, I heaved the body atop the APC. "I'll let Doctor Ballenfield sort your ugly ass out." Bill stared at me as I shut the APC door.

"Damn... quite a hook you got. Remind me not to piss you off."

"If you piss me off, Bill, it's not my fist you've gotta worry about." I smiled rather coy, showing the aging veteran my claws. He simple chuckled and nodded. I felt Zoey tap my leg as I passed. Leaning down, I heard her whisper softly.

"We'll continue later." I answered her with a simple pat on the shoulder.

-Quarantine Zone Theta; One Hour Later-

The APC cleared the outer wall of Quarantine Zone Theta and docked in the Vehicle hanger with due haste. The back of the APC opened, allowing it's wearing passengers to disembark. Standing before the hatch, arms folded neatly behind her back, was a tall, blonde woman with near perfect posture. Her glasses sat slightly askew on her face, shielding her green eyes from whatever. A smile came to her face when she saw us.

"Am I to assume you're the five Jake sent my way?" She asked. I nodded.

"Am I to assume you're Doctor Ballenfield's colleague he mentioned?" The woman's eyebrow piqued at this.

"'Colleague'? Is that the best Jake can come up with? Share the womb with him for nine months, and our insanity for a lifetime, and I'm a 'colleague' at best? Tough times indeed..."

"So, you're siblings..." Zoey chimed, shifting her weight more on me, my arm around her waist in support.

"Yes... Jake's my brother. He tells me... that there is one among you who could, quite possibly, end this mindless suffering." She looked at me with a caring glance. "I guess that's you, my dear Emma." I gave only a little nod, not so sure of my role myself.

"That's what I've been told..."

"And that what I aim to figure out." She checked her watch and adjusted her lab coat. "But you all must be tired from your ordeal. Shall I have my associates prepare some rooms for you?"

"That would me awfully nice of you." Bill answered, giving a tip of his beret.

"We have four rooms which may cater to your styles... Sadly, two of you will have to share. No, Francis..." She continued without so much as faltering. "You cannot share Emma or Zoey's room. The girls will be sharing."

"Hey, I didn't saying anything, yet!" Francis called defensively. Providence... all I could say to myself was that this was providence.

"No... no you didn't. But you were thinking it."

"Oh, great! Now you're going to say, your brother is crazy, but you can read minds?!"

"No. We're both quite insane. But I don't have to read your mind... to read the smile on your face." Three males dressed in lab coats came to her side at a simple motion from her hand. "Marckus, Allan, Myles; show these nice gentlemen to their rooms."

"Yes, ma'am." They echoed in unison, skirting Bill, Francis and Louis away.

"Please, follow me, ladies." Without further wording, she began her walk to our room.

The corridors of this Quarantine Zone swayed and curved almost endlessly, hundreds of doors along the walls. As we made the long walk, the woman spoke.

"I do apologize. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Trinsha Ballenfield, Head of Research and Development for the Army's Z.E.D." Zoey's hand went up. "Zombie Emergency Defense." She answered rather quickly.

"You sure you can't read minds? Because that was really creepy..." Zoey laughed some.

"No. I've just got superior deductive abilities. I say an acronym you most likely do not recognize, and the next logical question would be 'what does Z.E.D. stand for'. Thus, the question is answered before ever being asked." She waved to a young man standing on the side of the hall, who waved back. "When the government established Quarantine Zone Theta, originally a military base for the research and understanding of U.L.F.'s – Unidentified Life Forms – I was transferred here to assist my brother in trying to find a cure for the F.E.V., the-"

"Forced Evolutionary Virus." I answered for her. She looked back slightly, grinned and nodded.

"Yes... the F.E.V., developed by my brother during his two year stint at Black Mesa was never, ever meant to be released... but after the mind of a particularly weak mutual friend slash research assistant became warped with what the F.E.V. promised... the opposite became true."

"Okay... that's the second time I've heard that name... Black Mesa... what IS Black Mesa?"

"Was. What WAS Black Mesa." Trinsha corrected. "Black Mesa was a research facility deep in the uncharted regions of New Mexico. They handled government contracts mainly... weapons development, that sort of thing. I don't know the details, Jake may know, but about two years ago, the facility's power reactor went Super-Critical, creating an explosion with equal power and residual fallout as a U.S. Standard Issue 'Football' Nuclear Device... more commonly referred to as a Suitcase Nuke. It is this eerie similarity between the two blasts which, to this day, lead most to believe that the Black Mesa Incident was an inside job; most likely to cover something up. Again, I am not too familiar with the Black Mesa Incident."

"What about that other company that thing mentioned... what was it..." I thought, trying to recall the name. "Aperture... or something like that..." Trinsha physically stopped dead, looking over her shoulder.

"Never heard of an Aperture... maybe Jake will know..." She looked at a door to her left, smiling. "Ah, here it is! Your room." She opened to door for us, allowing us in. Her grin persisted as she continued. "If you require anything, please, don't hesitate to use the phone. Just think of this as staying in a luxury hotel; complete with room service." She gave Zoey a hug, then me, putting a key in each of our hands. "Sleep well you two. Long day ahead of us, tomorrow." Shutting the door behind us, I could faintly hear Trinsha's footsteps walking away. Zoey slowly found her way to one of the two beds, lying down to roll her pant leg up, looking at her leg. I'll admit, it wasn't as bad as I first thought, a little bloodied and scratched, but on the whole, no bones were poking through. Anymore; that is.

"It's not as bad as I thought it would have been..." She muttered, running a hand down the outside of her leg, feeling for anything she couldn't see. "Should be healed by morning." Putting her pant leg down, she sighed and stretched out on the bed. I let my eyes slowly undress her, trying to imagine what kind of underwear she wore... or didn't... My thoughts ground to a halt with the loud, rumbling growl emanating from my stomach. My body's way of saying "FEED ME NOW!"

"Hey, you hungry?" I muttered, rubbing my stomach, soothing the raging beast that was my digestive tract.

"Ya know... now that you mention it, yea, I kinda am..." She reached for the phone and dialed a few numbers. I put a hand over hers.

"Don't bother. I'll go out and get something." She gave me a puzzled look, but shrugged, putting the phone back. "Any allergies I should know about? Peanuts, seafood?"

"Idiocy." She replied simply, folding her hands on her own stomach and smiling. "I'm deathly allergic to stupid people."

"Well, you're still alive, so I guess you don't know many stupid people." Chuckling at my sly comment she shook her head.

"Not many who are alive today. But other then that, none that I know of." I made a mental note of her words and went for the door. "What do I do until you get back?"

"What do you think?" I responded simply, throwing her the remote. "See if there's something good on." Rolling her eyes, she settled into her bed, and turned the TV on.

Mear seconds out of the door, I was struck by a sudden realization. I have no idea where the nearest place to get food IS. I dropped a mental breadcrumb at my feet, picked a direction which, considering there were only two, one of which we had previously came from, left few in the ways of choices; and walked it. As I walked my chosen path, a few things stuck in my mind. The first of these was that people seemed to take a wider berth around me, pressing against the walls, and in the rare case, diving into a door frame, THEN pressing against the door. Some flat out ran when I looked at them. These were people not used to Revenents...

The second thing I noticed is that this Quarantine Zone is made, almost entirely and quite impossibly, out of corridors, hardly any rooms of any size to speak of... I also seemed to be twisting down... where the devil where we? Where could they build a... tower, I suppose is what it was. And the final third thing I noticed was:

Shag carpet felt tremendous on my bare feet. After a long trek through the grass in nothing but your own leather, a change of footing was welcome. I don't think Zoey would mind if I took a little detour to buy myself some shoes... which lead to a whole new problem all-together. I didn't have any money... As a matter of irony... I wasn't even sure of the dollar bill was even still in circulation, let alone still ACCEPTED as currency any more... who knows how far civilization's fell since the Infection.

"You look lost..." A voice came, breaking my thoughts. "Can I help you?" The man who spoke was staring at me through glazed eyes. He look like he would fit in better at a circus, then a Quarantine Zone. His body was large, one could even call him obese. Several large pustules covered his body, and his neck and chin seemed to merge flawlessly into one.

"Yes..." I finally found my voice to answer. "Yes, I'm looking for someplace to get some food... And a shoe store, maybe."

"Ah... food. One place I could find in a heartbeat." He smiled and rubbed his belly with puffy, balloon like hands. "If you follow this path, you'll come to an elevator with a big red arrow pointin' down. It'll say common area on it. All the shops are down in the common area." He told me with a smile. "Food, shoes, whatever you may need is down there. Funny thing, though..."

"What's that?" I asked, scanning the man again. His clothes, while far too small for him, screamed doctor. His pants were secured with a drawstring around the waist and ankle. They were doctor's scrubs. I took a step closer, looking at his namebadge plastered on his shirt, bearing holding on. Doctor C. Jay Williks M.D. Mercy Hospital.

"Mercy Hospital!?" I belted, ignoring his 'funny thing'.

"Yea... that's where I worked before the Infection. Why?"

"Do you remember anything beforehand?" I looked at the provided picture. If the man on the badge, and the one standing before me were the same, you'd never know it. The Williks on the photo was lean and cut, maybe a tad gaunt even. His green eyes and brown hair somehow made me feel secure.

"Little... why?"

"My name is Emma Windsor; I worked at Mercy Hospital!"

"Ya know... the name sounds familiar, but I'm afraid I can't place a face. But, I think I know who would."

"Who?"

"Marcus Bilcins. He was the chief resident there. He knew all the doctors and nurses. Slight problem, though."

"What?"

"When the Infection hit; poor bastard lost his voice. Cut his larynx out himself. Bugger's gone apeshit ever since he lost his wife. I pity him."

"I see..."

"Well, Emma... I'm afraid I'm needed on one of the upper decks. Nice to meet another Revenent around here." He held his hand out. I took a few seconds reacting. Sensing my hesitation, he laughed. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna pop on you. Trinsha sees all the Revenents are taken care of. Gives me a weekly shot to stop the pukin' and the poppin'. Calls me Boomer for... well... obvious reasons." I took his hand and shook it. I could feel his skin squish like a pillow at my touch. As I pulled my hand away, I could see the impression it left on his own.

"I must be going. Sorry for taking up your time, Doctor Williks."

"It's no problem. Nice to meet you, Emma." He stopped himself. "Is it Doctor, or Nurse?"

"Oh... Emma's fine. But, it was Nurse."

"Well. Be safe then, Nurse Windsor." He took a few steps back up the ramp, then turned again. "Oh... before I forget... here.." He handed my a thin business card with "RMA" on it, and a room number. "We meet every week, Mondays and Fridays at three. Be there. I think you'll fit in." I slipped the card into my back pocket and gave a little smile.

"I'll keep that in mind... thank you..." He gave a little salute and trounced off.

Following 'Boomer's instructions, I did manage to find the elevator with 'common area' above it. Rather conspicuous little thing, but that really wasn't the point. As I approached it, the doors swung open, allowing a pair of girls exit and be on their way. I stepped in their wake, and went right to the left side, where the button controls usually are. It seemed I was out of luck, as the sides of the elevator were totally bear, saved for the hand rails along each side. I spent a few moments trying to figure out how to work the elevator, and probably would have spent a few more, if someone had not done it for me. Out of my vision, a figure entered the elevator after me, and in a clear voice, spoke:

"Common Area." The doors slid closed and the box began moving, the hum soothing to the soul. I looked up, confusion evident to all, and stared at the cute redhead. "Yea, the elevators do take some getting used to. They're voice activated." I let this fact sink in, and said all I could think to.

"Cool." Folding her hands behind her back, she humed a tune as the elevator descended. "So... how long is this trip?" My question was answered when the elevator jerked to a quick, unbelievably abrupt stop.

"About that long." She snipped. Rolling my eyes and exiting, I came to, what I initially believed was a cavern. The walls were painted a soft blue, and the circumference of the circular room housed dozens upon dozens of shops. I began to take it all in. Everything I could ever want was here. Arcades, a food pavillion, clothing stores, vegetable stands and... of course, the diamond of the dome, a Foot Kingdom. Shoes. Finally!

Ignoring the grumble in my stomach, I charged for the Foot Kingdom, but reason quickly sank in. No money. I swore verbally and; judging by everyone's reactions within a fifty foot distance, quite loudly. No food or shoes for me or Zoey.

"Emma." A familiar voice came from behind me. It was soft, but monotonous, it was Trinsha. "What brings you down to the Common Area?" She questioned rather quickly.

"Food and shoes... but with no money, I can get neither..." From my rear came Trinsha's hand, between her fingers clenched a large stack of bills, twenty dollar bills to be exact.

"Here. Buy something nice for you feet, dear. And don't worry about breakfast. Everyone hear eats breakfast for free. One of the small services Theta provides to the Uninfected and Immune." I cautiously took the money, rather uncertain if this act would come back to bite my ass off or not. Slowly turning to face Trinsha, I offered a little smile.

"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me..." She coughed some, covering her mouth with a closed fist and turning away from me slightly. Recovering, she returned my smile.

"If what my brother says about you is even a tenth true, it'll all be worth it in the end." She flashed the international 'run along' sign with her hands, urging me on. I counted the money, the total coming to a quite whopping twelve hundred. How did she get so much money... and why is she giving so much to me? A pay off? Or a bribe? Couldn't tell. Or maybe just genuine generosity. Something that, from initial opinions of this place, was scarce.

I marched up to the Foot Kingdom happier then a lark. The young man who greeted me seemed like his smile was fake... or forced. He showed me around the store like a twelve foot pole was jammed up his ass. Didn't bother me much. After searching, I came to a nice pair of knee-highs I quite liked. Eighty was a tad pricey, but they seemed like they could take one hell of licking and still laugh in the face of abuse, so the cost would most likely be worth it.

I wasted no time in putting them on. Lacing up the black leather was like a knight putting on his armor for the first time. Where I once felt vulnerable and weak, I now had an overcoming sense of invincibility. The heels added a good three inches to my height. While a small boost, it only seemed to add to my ever-growing god-complex.

I moved quickly to the clothing store. The white blouse and jeans had served me well, but I felt like I needed some change of pace. It was mainly a gothic or punk store, I felt more at home there then at the local 'Pretty Pink Princess Factory' kind of place. Maybe Francis and I were closer then I thought... this seemed like the kind of place he'd shop at. I picked out a pair of leather hip-huggers and a black, skin tight shirt which read 'make out, not war'. A statement I found rather amusing at the time.

My whole new outfit cost me a whopping two hundred and fifty dollars, leaving me the majority of my money for food. Lots of fast food places down here... One stall in particular attracted my attention. The outside was decorated like a fancy restaurant from before the Infection, little patio tables out front, and a man at a podium who took reservations. It was dead. Taking a few tentative steps forward, I spoke to the man out front.

"Hi... I have a question..." He looked up, the face of boredum vanishing within microseconds of hearing my voice.

"Hello, ma'am. Welcome to the Deepground Bistro... How may I serve you?"

"Are reservations required?" I asked quickly, trying not to waste too much of his, obviously, valuable time. He grinned and shook his head.

"Oh, no, ma'am. Delivery orders require no reservations, but sit-ins do." I perked up.

"You do delivery?" He nodded a litle.

"Yes ma'am. We bring your food to your room. There is, of course, a charge to that."

"Of course... where do I place an order for a delivery?" He pulled a notepad from below the podium.

"I can take it for you, ma'am. What would you like?" I spent a few seconds looking for a menu, but stopped and chuckled.

"Tell you what... I'm buying for someone – special." I muttered, drawing closer some. "I don't care what you get... but is there any way to make it romantic?" A coy little smirk crossed his lips.

"Why, of course. What is your name, ma'am?"

"Emma. Emma Windsor."

"And the other party?"

"Zoey-" I blanked for a moment – I don't think Zoey's told me her last name. "I'm not entirely sure what her last name is..."

"It's quite alright. We will make do." I don't know what it was, but I actually expected him to be disgusted.

"You... you're alright with it being another girl?" The man closed his eyes slightly, laughing.

"Ms. Windsor, we live in trying times. Love forming between two people is rare as is. Judgment is one luxury civilization cannot afford. Love is love, regardless." His words comforted me. "Besides. My sister is in love with another woman. I'm rather used to it."

"Thank you."

"Of course. If I may make a suggestion?" I peaked, listening. "If you wish to make the night one she'll never forget, you may want to visit Less Then Three across the dome. They have several... articles of clothing you may find exciting."

"Thank you." I spoke again, a hand on his shoulder. "For everything. When will everything be ready?"

"About one hour."

"An hour it is." I gave a little wave as I left, heading to Less Then Three as he suggested. It was a romantic clothing and lingerie store from first glance, something confirmed as I entered. The store was decorated with one piece teddies, nighties, and a vast selection of lace and silk underwear which simply called out 'fun night of no sleep'. The man at the counter was settling his head on his hand, reading a magazine, the bell from the door alerting him to my presence. He piqued up and greeted me with a warm, genuine smile.

"Hello, my dear! Welcome to Less Then Three. How can I make your fantasy?" I took a moment to answer him, taking in the store's merchandise.

"Oh, that really depends. Lots of exciting things in here..." He grinned at the compliment.

"Well, thank you. You look like a woman who likes to make her love remember the night. Am I right?" I gave a little nod. "Ah. I knew it. Let me show you some of our finer things..."

-At That Time-

"Trinsha, any word from Emma and the others?" The visage of my insane brother spoke into the microphone.

"Yes, Jake. They arrived about... twenty minutes ago."

"Oh... oh, good..." He breathed a stored breath of relief. "I tried calling Emma six or seven times, and I didn't get an answer... I though she got turned into a toothpick by a Tank... or was 'loved' to death by a Witch..." He sighed again. "I'm just glad she's okay." His demeanor totally changed, his hands folding into a little shelf for his head, which quickly became occupied. "So... what's your initial thought of them?" I rubbed my chin some, thinking.

"Bill seems like to know what he's doing. Combat and chaos are no strangers to him." Typing a few things on the keyboard, I continued to speak. "Francis and Louis I think are closer then anyone else skill wise, although I seem to sense more of a cocky demeanor from Francis to Louis' cautious advance attitude. Zoey..." I found myself chuckling a little at the thought of the little, cute-faced brunette. "Zoey I like. She reminds me a lot of you." He recoiled some.

"How so?" He almost laughed at the comparison.

"Impulsive... but lovable." I explained. "Emma... Emma I don't know. I sense a lot from her. Quite frankly, Jake... I'm not going to lie... but I think Emma's slowly succumbing to the Infection... The soldiers who brought them here told me what happened... I think Emma was able, for a very short time, to talk to the Infected. Sergeant Hikerman said that she made them stop an attack..." I removed my glasses and rubbed the bridge of my nose, feeling the indentations where the feet of my glasses usually rest on my face. I could feel the weight of the Infection on my eyelids.

"Sis..." Jake's voice came. He was calm, his voice had that soothing property which always had the ability to rub off on me. "Sis... you're tired. You've been up for six days straight, workin' off coffee, caffeine drinks and pills, and Mountain Dew. Go to your room, take your clothes off, which I know you've been wearing for the last two weeks straight, take a nice, hot bath, lie down, and sleep." I chuckled at my brother's comments. He... really was not one to talk.

"Pot callin' the kettle black. Tell you what, Jake, I'll make you a deal: I'll sleep, if YOU sleep."

"Now, Trinny, you know I can't do that."

"Don't call me Trinny, Jake, I'm not three any more."

"Trinny... Trin, look at me." Raising my head weakly, I managed to look at the computer screen. "Sleep. It will do you good. You can wake up and continue work like nothing tomorrow. You have your staff on eight hour shifts, and you're on twenty four seven. The human body cannot operate like that. You're KILLING yourself, Trin. Day by day, you're going to kill yourself in the end. Please, Trin... sleep. For me." Sighing heavily and smiling, I nodded.

"Alright, Jake. You win. I'll take a nap."

"No, no nap. Sleep. I swear to god, I'll know if you're up. I better not catch you awake until at least ten hours have passed."

"Alright, alright. I get it. I'll go sleep." I stood, took my glasses back onto my face, and turned to leave.

"Hey, Trin?" His voice came one last time, causing me to turn around. "I love you. I'll see you when you wake up." I gave a weak, half-hearted wave and continued to my room.

"Maria?" I called to one of my research assistants. "You've got the floor. Make sure everything runs, alright. Oh... and don't let Micheal into the Anti-Mass Spectrometer again. I don't want a repeat of last Monday's Resonance Cascade."

"Yes ma'am." The green haired Maria nodded.

-Quarantine Zone Theta's Living Quarters-

Stepping from the elevator with bags in hand, I quickly regained my bearings. Up would lead me back to the room. Dropping both sets of bags to the ground, I fumbled around in my new pants pocket for the key. I didn't take the time to memorize the room number, so I had to check the key. One Twenty Eight was what was on the key, so I figured that had to be the room number. I took a quick glance to my left, the numbers on the door ascending from 169 as the path wound up. Collecting the bags once more, I happily made my way up the corkscrew like passage, humming to myself.

Around Room 135, I looked down, my eyes attracted by an unknown splotch of red on the ground. My initial thought was blood, but it was far too bright, and was avidly affected by moving air, so that squelched that thought quite quickly. I couched down and took one of the red objects. A flower petal, more specifically, a rose. Rose petals...

There was a small path of them scattered about on the floor, leading up. What was this; some kind of new type of Infected. Oh, yea right, Emma. I could see that going over well. It would be thin, with long hair, a tie-dye shirt, and covered in flowers... That would give 'flower power' a horrible, horrible name. Chuckling at my mental image, I followed the path of rose petals up, trying to figure out why I thought this was tacky, and where I knew it from.

"Amnesia's a bitch." I observed, finally reaching the rose petal's end, leading right under the door to room 128. I smirked. Oh... now I remember. Something in the back of my head told me tonight promised to be quite exciting. Dropping the bags slowly once more to the ground, I fumbled with the key and finally managed to unlock the door. After pocketing the key once more and opening the light frame door, I picked up the bags and entered the dark room.

"Zoey?" I called out, putting the bags by the door, trying to find the light switch on the left. "Are you in here?"

"I am." I heard her voice call back from somewhere in the rear of the hotel room. Patting the wall more, I found the switch and hit it. A slight click was all I had accomplished, the lights staying dark. Something in the back of my mind told me to run, but something more close told me to stay.

"Power go out or something, Zoey? Awfully dark in here, don'tcha think?" I continued to speak, trying to feel my way around to dark room with my hands outstreached like a top heavy toddler made me feel like a dork, but my eyes were useless in such darkness.

Which, when you really think about it, makes absolutely no sense, considering I'm half Witch, and I've heard the stories Francis tells about them being able to see in total darkness. Maybe I was doing something wrong? I blinked a few times, hoping that would help my eyes adjust faster. It did, my vision slowly illuminating everything in a soft green hue. I began to make out the features of the room, the two beds, the door to the kitchen, the door to the bathroom, half-naked Zoey, the bed-side tables...

Half-naked Zoey?

"My, Zoey... how few clothes you're wearing..." Her face turned into a pouty frown.

"Oh, you can see in the dark? That's no fair..." She crossed her arms and turned the lights on from the switch on the far wall. The moment the lights clicked to life, the green hue vanished, and my vision was normal again. She turned to face me and I managed to get a look at her attire. Pretty much, she had stripped down to what most would consider one's skivvies, wearing simply a white bra and a matching set of panties. The bandage and splint on her left leg were kind of killing the picture, but I think I can work my way through it.

"My, you look... rather stunning..." Were the only things I could think to say. 'Rather Stunning'? Smooth, Emma. Real smooth. Out of EVERYTHING you could have possibly thought of, the only think you DID was 'rather stunning'?! I hate me...

"Well... thank you. You look absolutely killer, too. I love your new shoes..." RAVAGING! That's what I could have said! Dammit, why do you always think up the cool insults or compliments after the fact? I looked down at the flower petals strewn across the carpet.

"So, what's with the flowers? Did you beat the room service guy with a bouquet of flowers?" Zoey smiled and chuckled at my joke.

"No... I did this for you; for us. A little mood setter. Do you like it?"

"Of course I do. I don't know what person wouldn't."

"Someone allergic to roses?"

"Yea, they may, but... no, no I love this." I put an arm around her and hugged the brunette grinning. Giggling and slipping out from under my embrace, she took a few quick steps to one of the beds. She gave it a little pat

"Come on. Sit with me. Let's finish what we started..." I took the offered seat, placing both hands aside her waist. "You're hands are cold..." She observed, rubbing her own hands up and down my shoulders slowly and sweetly. Leaning forward, I pressed my lips to hers, her body warmth flowing into me, a sensation of welcome overcoming me. Her fingers began dancing around the bottom fringe of my shirt. I pulled away and put my hands over my head, an inviting smile upon my lips. Biting a corner of her lower lip, Zoey pulled my skin-tight black shirt off from my body, and discarded it. Wrapping each other in our arms, we collapsed to the bed, content to kiss one another.

Ending Author's Note: There's chapter seven of Cry Witch. Now, before ya'll start warming up the flamethrowers and unfolding your Butterfly Knives and checkin' the charge on your cloaking watch, let me just say, the only reason I ended it here is because of the 'OMG It's 11 pages long' factor. The next chapter will continue Zoey and Emma's entertainment time. Promise.

Ending Author's Note 2: Team Fortress 2 references mean anything? Maybe...


	9. Tricklings of Humanity

Eight: "Tricklings of Humanity"

I could tell that just by looking at Zoey, this had to take a considerable amount of stress off of her. Simply lying on the bed, holding one another, knowing we were safe within the walls of Quarantine Zone Theta... it put her mind to ease, and I think it did the same for me, a warm feeling washing over both of us. Zoey was a tad quicker on the upstart then I, her hands having no problems finding their way around my pale-as-death body.

"You know, Emma, I always found pale attractive..." She muttered, her magical hands rubbing my stomach and side. I gave a little chuckle at her comment, finding it's placement rather comical. "What?" She smiled.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about you. Tryin' to figure out where you've been my whole life." She laughed at the obviously cheesy pick up line, but I always found the cheesy ones worked more often then the complex one. At least I thought I always found that... bah. Not important. All that was important was lying below me.

Wrapping one unused hand around her neck, I bent my head down to kiss her, planting one on her forehead, then slowly chaining a few more down her nose, eventually reaching her lips. She laughed at the touch, returning the kiss emphatically and with half her tongue. So, this is what it's like to be loved? For others to see only what's inside...

I think I like this more then being feared. Positioning myself atop her, I cuddled in tight, my chest pressing against hers. Then; the unspeakable.

A knock at the door.

"Emma? Zoey? If you're awake, we're needed."

"GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!" Zoey belted out rather audibly, loud enough that I was positive Francis had heard it through the door. Growling under my breath, I retrieved my shirt as Zoey found her clothes and we both redressed, muttering swear words under our breaths the whole way. Throwing the door open in Francis' face, we both stormed out.

"Just to let you know, Francis, if you weren't the messenger, I'd MURDER you!" Zoey shouted in his face as she passed. I simply gave him a loud growl as I shifted beside him.

"Man, what I do?" He asked innocently, bringing up the rear. Zoey was still trying to put her undershirt on as we left. "And... why were you undressed?"

"We were about to have hot lesbian sex, Francis! And you interrupted us! There, that was what we were doing! That's what we were doing and you RUINED it! ARE YOU HAPPY!?" Zoey shouted again, storming down the hall.

"Ha ha ha. Very funny. Seriously, why are you so mad?" Niether of us answered, just continued our raged romp up the ramp. "Seriously? Come on, tell me! Wait... was she being... She was! She was totally being serious!" He cackled, throwing his head back. "Oh, man, this is too good! Wait until Grampa Bill hears Zoey's a d-" Not letting Francis finish is sentence, both Zoey and I gave him a hard slug to the stomach, causing him to double over, grab his stomach and groan in pain. After groaning and crying like a little girl for a few seconds, Francis recomposed. "Ah... come on, man... did you have to give me the Double Deuce?"

-Science Lab-

Zoey and I stormed into the science lab where a nifty little table had been set up, several people already sitting at the table. Two we recognized off the bat as Bill and Louis. Bill's head was back on the headrest of the chair, the cigarette hanging precariously from his mouth, almost burnt to the stub. Louis didn't even try to hide the fact he was conked out, his hands outstreached across the table, his forehead pressed hard against the oaken surface. I could hear both snoring, Bill softly, and Louis obnoxiously loudly.

The other two I didn't recognize. One was a well-built man with a yellow hard-hat on, his red shirt vibrant against the dull-colored back ground. The brown leather overalls covering the majority of his top and all of his legs seemed to outfitted with some form of protection, most likely to protect against harsh environments, or possibly a disgruntled co-worker with a nail gun. He looked as though he hadn't shaved in a day or so, judging by the rough stubble on his chin and under his nose. His eyes were masked by a thick pair of welder's goggles. Yellow and orange kneepads were prominently displayed, along with the tool belt and big flamin' wrench on his waist. His right hand was adorned with a large, industrial-strength worker's glove in a vibrant 'Hey, I'm here' Yellow. He sat at the table as if he had much better places to be.

The second I could have sworn would have been more in-place at a Zombie movie. He was a tall black man, his composure similar to the first man. He wore a heavy Bomb-Blast Suit with a blue jump suit under it. Several explosives where strapped to his Bomb-Blast Suit, and what appeared to be a C-4 Breaker Board was holstered at his side. His left eye was covered by a black eye patch, and he wore, what appeared to be a black beanie on his head.

At the head of the table was a man we both recognized. Jake Ballenfield.

"Emma! Zoey! You complete our little circle of friends. Have a seat. Anywhere's quite fine."

"This better be good." Zoey muttered, sitting next to me.

"Oh, it is. Before we continue, let me introduce to you Chief Engineer Harvey Longhorn, Head Engineer and Architect with Reliable Excavation and Demolition..." He motioned to the man in the hard hat, who gave us a tip of said hat. "And Demolitionist Agnus MacDonald, Lead Demolitionist with the Builder's League Union." The black man winked with his one good eye. "Now that we're all here, let's get down to business."

"Couldn't this have waited until morning?"

"Yes." Jake answered simply.

"Then why are we here?" I continued.

"Because." He answered again. I slammed my head on the desk out of frustration. "I've brought you all here to preform a special task for me. Now, it's no secret that Black Mesa had some... questionable research projects, most of which were destroyed when the facility went up two years ago. A few, however, yet remain." He pressed his fingers against each other in a spherical fashion before him. "Black Mesa used an outside company to back up and save most, if not all of the research and development that went on there. The company, Riptide Servers, went under two days ago, leaving the contence of all of it's servers to an unknown client, who purchased the company. I've heard they plan on tearing the whole structure down, servers and all. Needless to say, I need the information stored in those servers, at any cost. Thankfully..." He spun the chair around to face the screen behind him. "Due to a rather fortunate series of events, the beautiful people of R.E.D and B.L.U have agreed to help me on this little endevour due to... large stakes I hold in both companies. I'll be splitting your beauteous team into two." He spun the chair around again and faced us once again. "Louis, Bill, Francis, you will be taking Agnus and Harvey to the derelict Riptide building to recover my Black Mesa research data, while Emma and Zoey will be going on a little trip. To my more current former place of employment, Aperture Science."

"Ya know, doc, this is all well and good... but what's so important that it can't wait?" Louis groaned, listening, but still tired, his eyes shut.

"Put simply, I was doing some research into teleportation and portal technologies, and my F.E.V. research is tucked away all nice-like in said bunker, and the teleportation and portal research is still at my computer at Aperture. I'll need the F.E.V. research to reverse-engineer the virus to create a cure, and my Portal and Teleportation research could potentially change the face of the earth. For the better. So. Wanna leave now, or later?"

"Can you give us like... two hours to prepare?" Zoey chimed.

"Two hours? What on earth would you need two hours to prepa-" He stopped dead, staring at Zoey and I. "Oh... Oh, I see. It seems my meeting interrupted something no one should... right... Besides!" He grinned broadly, clapping once. "You all look dead on your feet. So, take a couple'a hours to rest, and meet back here before sunrise. We'll have to move fairly fast. In the meantime... I'll see if I can't whip something up to help ya'll. OH, while I've got your attention, I would like to say I've had time to study the present you brought me, Emma." I quirked an eyebrow.

"Present?"

"Yep. Chompy McThreeHeads." On the screen behind him a picture of the creature I fought, finally knocking out and stuffing atop the APC which brought us here. Across the top of the screen were the words CERBERUS. "For obvious reasons you've figured out already, I've dubbed this new Infected the Cerberus. Upon autopsy, I discovered that there were two... batteries in the creature. These batteries actually have the power to restart brain functions and respiration... unfortunately for it, the battery is a one-time deal. Once it's been used, it burns out. As for the whole 'growing an extra head' thing... I can't explain that yet... but I'm working on it." He punched a few things on the laptop before him, looking at the screen. Your two hours starts now." We slowly got up from the table. Doctor Ballenfield turned to Agnus. "Oh, before I forget, the new Sticky Grenade launcher came in for you. You can pick it up when you're on your way out... just... don't blow yourselves up, 'kay?" As we left, I pulled Francis to the side.

"You say anything about Zoey and I, and I'll re-arrange your face into a bad Picasso!" I growled in a harsh whisper.

"Hey, relax, Emma. I hate a lot of things in this world. Dy-uh... What... whatever you prefer to call yourselves... that's one of the few things I like. Your secret is safe with me." I smiled at his words.

"Good. Now go get some sleep. You look bushwhacked." He yawned, almost solidifying he was tired. I, however, had a particularly long night ahead of me.

-Emma and Zoey's Room.-

When we returned to our room, we found the concierge waiting for us with our dinner. He smiled when he saw us, bowing to a right angle.

"Good evening, madams. I waited for your return."

"Yes... yes, thank you. Terribly sorry about that. Power meeting."

"Yes, Doctor Ballenfield, as well as he means, has no sense of timing." Zoey opened the door for us, allowing the concierge and I in, in that order. The man in the suit pushed the quite loaded cart into the room and began setting up a little table he procured from under the cart he was pushing. It was a little round table, just enough for two. Taking a well-used and well-kept table cloth from another compartment of the cart, he got the table gussied up, complete with candles and a bouquet of fresh flowers.

To top the display off, he took a few dishes from a middle compartment, each plate covered in a silver dome, and placed them on the table.

"With compliments from the chef, I present a perfectly prepared red lobster with tartar sauce, coupled beautifully with steamed carrots and cauliflower." He removed the covers, displaying the delicious food beneath. I had to swallow the extra saliva my mouth was producing at the sight of it. This... certainly was a surprise. The concierge bowed deeply, and put a hand behind his back. "And finally, a present for the lovely Zoey..." He whipped a bouquet of flowers from seemingly nowhere, handing them to Zoey, who smiled wildly, taking them. Bowing once again, the man left without another word.

"There's a card here..." Zoey muttered, reading the card on the flowers. "To my beautiful flower, Zoey, with love from Emma... awww...." Looking at me and smiling, she hugged me. "Thank you, Emma... that's so sweet of you..."

"Anything for you, Zoey. You know that."

"Let me put these in some water, and we can eat."

-At That Time-

I strode around my sister's office. She was quite unorganized, but I suppose there was some order to things around. Only some. Her staff buzzed about, getting this and that done here and there. One of the scientists, a young woman with dyed green hair and glasses scuttled up to me with a clip board.

"Doctor?" She addressed me, pushing the clipboard towards me. "I have those results Trinsha wanted me to get from the scans." I took the clipboard and scanned the paper. Normal readings in the Anti-Mass Spectrometer, to be expected... the phase variance from the Sub-Dermal Image Oscillator is a bit high, but still well within the acceptable variance fluctuation... hum...

"Uh... what did you say your name was again, lass?" I spoke to the green-haired girl who gave me the clip board.

"Maria, Doctor. Maria Despair."

"Ah, good. Maria. Do me a favor. These readings show that the capacitors in the Omega section of your Solid Phase Injector are running too low.. do you happen to keep replacements?"

"Why, yes, Doctor. But Trinsha had been waiting for them to actually die before replacing them... the SPI is still operation as we need it, and we only have three capacitors left..." I tapped my chin a few times with a finger, thinking. Well... Trinsha knows what she's doing, I suppose.

"Well... alright. But I want you to run diagnostics on it every hour, just to be sure it's still operating."

"Yes, doctor. Of course." She nodded and went about her business. I gave the rest of the readings a look. Metric Analyzer, in the green... Partical Accelerator operational at ninty eight percent... Partical Projection Caster and Analyzer okay... Trinsha keeps a pretty tight ship around here... that's good. I took a stride around the lab, looking at all the equipment she had stashed here and there. Lots of small things on high ledges... wonder why that is... My phone ringing interrupted me.

"This is Jake." I spoke into the receiver, listening to my assistant in far of Quarantine Zone Alpha. "What?!" I nearly shouted, alerting everyone in the immediate area. "Are you jerking my chain?" She spoke more, only making me more frustrated. "Son of a... alright. No, no thank you, Sara. Better I know then not. How long did they last?" I nodded. "Yes... I'll tell Emma right away." I slumped into Trinny's desk, and looked at the intercom device. "Is this connected to the entire Quarantine Zone?" I asked Maria, who answered with a nod. "Good..."

-At That Time-

Zoey and I finished our meal with a smile, and a happy stomach. She seemed pleased with the choices the restaurant made, and I can't say I have any reason at all to complain myself. I wiped the remainders of the lobster from my mouth with the napkin and stood, offering Zoey my hand.

"Thank you, Emma. For everything."

"Hey, it's not a problem. Anything that makes you happy." I saw a little blush come to the otherwise hardened girl's cheeks.

"Do... do you know what would make me real happy?" I cracked a little smile.

"I can only guess..." I led her slowly to the bed.

"Gooooooood Evening Quarantine Zone Theta!" Doctor Ballenfield's overly cheery voice boomed through the PA system. "This is Doctor Jake Ballenfield up here in Research and Development with a few updates for your pleasure!" He cleared his throat, the sound of rustlings papers coming shortly thereafter. "Item number one tonight is that the next meeting of the Revenent Mundane Society has been postponed to this Thursday, instead of this Wednesday. For complaints and clarifications, please see the organization's leader, Deedrick Hunter in room six oh four." More paper rustling. "Demolition Depression? Excavation Anxiety? Fear of unreliable service keeping you up at night? Well, fear not, fellow citizens, for the Reliable Excavation and Demolition company is here to assist you with all of your demolition needs! When things need done, and not said, pick up the phone, and call R.E.D." He chuckled at the cute little rhyme and shuffled more papers. "DIY Enept? Can't tell a hammer from a plunger? Does your husband or wife cringe when you pick up a screwdriver? Well all of your DIY Woes can be solved with one little call! The Builder's League Union takes all jobs, big or small! Think true! Think B.L.U.!" He chuckled again. "Gahd, who writes these jingles?" He mused verbally. "Now that the Corporate Mandated bullshit is out of the way, item number three. Emma Windsor, I apologize, but your presence is needed in the Science Lab for routine maintenance. Please come at once, and alone." He shuffled papers again. "And finally, item four tonight. It has come to my attention that some joker has decided to put a hoody on and wrap duct tape around his appendages, and scare the security force and the citizens. To this Huntard, please be advised that security personnel and the Automated Security Cannons located around the facility will not hesitate to fire upon you if they detect or see you. I suggest you stop this terrible gag at once, as neither I, nor Trinsha are amused. Thank you, that is all." I groaned.

"Are you fucking shitting me? AGAIN?!" I growled, getting very irate at peoples timing. Or lack-there of.

"Go... Emma... I'll be here when you get back..." Zoey mused, noticeable irate herself. I took her hand and gave it a little kiss.

"He probably just wants to see if I'm alive. I'll be back shortly." I ran the back of my hand across her cheek. "Stay beautiful." I smiled taking my leave.

I followed the trail once more to the science lab. The door was open, the lights were on, but the usual ruckus was missing.

"Come on in, Emma. Shut and lock the door behind you." Doctor Ballenfield's voice came. I nodded and did so. "Emma... I called you here because something dire has come to my attention."

"What is it, Doctor?" He came from behind one of the machines and looked at me, the remains of a few tears still on his face.

"Emma... I just got a call from my assistant back at Alpha... they called me to tell me that... the Infected we were keeping in storage... were dead."

"Dead?!" I couldn't help but blurt out.

"Yes."

"How?! I mean..." I stopped for a moment. Now, Emma... don't get too excited.

"We're not sure. We haven't had the chance to run autopsies yet. We're going to be working on it though, believe me."

"What does this mean, Doctor?"

"I... I can't say. The worst case scenario is... well..." He inhaled, collecting his thoughts. "We've held those Infected since the outbreak. Two weeks. The worst case scenario is... Both of us are dying." His words hit hard. How would Zoey take this? Should I even tell her? "I, myself, have been infected since day one, so I may not have much time left. You... I don't know. I don't know how long it's been since you contracted the Infection, and we don't have any equipment to tell... The short of it is... it's very possible and very safe to assume that you have anywhere from a few days... to two weeks to live." He paused for a moment. "In the medical profession, it's called a Doomsday Clock. When it strikes midnight, so to speak... you'll die. I don't know if you're at one o clock, or at eleven fifty nine... but I think it's safe and plausible to tell you... make the best of what you've got... because I don't know how much more of it you have left." I nodded. What more could I do? I've been given an ultimatum.

"Should I... tell Zoey?"

"I wouldn't. But that's just me." I said nothing, but unlocked the door, the strangest sound coming to my ears. Crying. Opening the door, I found the source of the sobs. Zoey.

"Zoey... you heard... didn't you?" She nodded. She was sitting on the ground, knees pulled up to her chest, her head on her knees. "Zoey... I was going to-" I tried to put a hand on her should, but she shrugged it off. Before I could speak again, she stood and left, a river of tears following her.

"But that's just me..." Doctor Ballenfield echoed again.

-Two Hours Later-

I arrived at the garage as instructed a few hours prior. Seems like I was the last to get there. Francis and Bill were packing an APC with supplies, while Henry and Agnus filled another. I took a survey around the room.

"Emma!" Louis spoke. "Hey, girl. How are you?"

"Good... have you seen..."

"Zoey?" Bill, Francis, Louis and Jake echoed at once. I nodded, the four shrugging in unison again.

"Could you not do that? It's creepy..." I muttered, looking at the four and their eerie timing.

"No, no none of us has." Jake replied, pushing a few buttons on a computer mounted in a wall near him. "I was just about to go out and look, but first, I need to go wake up Sleepy Beauty." Francis and Bill stared at him. He looked back with a look of confusion, as if he expected us to know who he was referring to. "Trinsha." He stated softly. "You know. About my height, my weight. Does this thing with her tongue that would make a rabbi eat pork? My sister." He waved it away. "Never mind. I'll keep an eye open for Zoey while I'm away."

"How would you know that, man?" Francis sounded, putting a box in the APC.

"Know what?"

"About your sister and her tongue?"

"What ABOUT my sister and her tongue?"

"You said she could do this thing that-" He stopped himself, shaking his head. "Ya know what, forget I said anything."

"Sure thing." Jake answered, capping off with a: "Wierdo." He entered a door and ran down the hallway, white lab coat flowing behind him like a cape.

-Trinsha's Quarters-

Sliding to a stop on the shag carpeting, I came to the door which lead to the small, cluttered room my sister called home. Standing at the keypad, I punched the code in, verballizing it as I always had.

"Zero, Eight, One, Two, One, Nine, Eight, Five." The code was my birthday. August twelve 1985. Trinsha always used my birthday as her passwords, so it was always terribly easy to hack her stuff. The door slide open with a little mechanical sigh, granting access to my sister's sanctuary, as she called it; the little cluttered mess she called home. I took a few steps forward, looking about as my eyes adjusted to the low light. I felt and struggled through the mess to make it to her bed, situated in the middle of the room, resembling some small life boat afloat in a sea of chip bags and soda bottles. Sneaking to the side of her bed quietly, knowing full well how lightly Trinsha slept, I smiled. I placed myself right beside her bed, and leaned my head down to a few inches of hers. Even in the low-to-no light, I could see her eyes were open. The light clicked on.

"HELLO!" I shouted as she saw me.

"Jesus FUCKING Christ, Jake!" She shouted, sitting up, rubbing her eyes and grabbing her glasses. "Scare the pants off me why don't you?!" I looked down at the pair of black pants on the ground. Picking them up and holding them so she could see them I smiled. I could catch a faint whiff of her coming from he pants. Yep. These were the ones she last wore. The smell was no more then a few hours old.

"Looks like I did." I saw her cheeks flash some.

"G-Gimme those!" She snatched the pants from me and tried to put them on under the covers.

"Come on, Trinny. You and I both know you still were those Hello Kitty panties. Don't lie to yourself." I could see her blush again. She slinked out of bed, sure enough wearing a pair of pink Hello Kitty panties and a matching tank top. For being older then me, she was considerably less mature clothing wise. I smiled as she got up, putting her pants over her pink underwear.

"When you said 'I'll see you when you wake up' I didn't think you're ugly mug would be the first damn thing I see!"

"Yea, I have that effect on people. Listen, Trin, I need to ask you a very important question."

"What?" She asked, her sentence punctuated by a yawn.

"Hypotetical question."

"Okay."

"Hypothetically, if you were in love with a w... er... another person..." I corrected myself.

"...'Kay..." She answered simply.

"If you were in love with another person, and you figured out that your significant other was on a very, very short life span. They only had a few weeks to live... and you got distraught and ran off...."

"...Alright..."

"Where would you go?" Her eyebrow piqued up.

"Are you serious? That's a dumb question, Jake. I'd go to the bathroom to cry."

"THE BATHROOM! OF COURSE! It was so OBVIOUS! The BATHROOM! How could I be so DENSE!? Thanks sis! Love 'ya!" I rambled, giving her a quick peck on the cheek and darting off. Even without facing her, I could tell she was boring holes into the back of my skull.

Via my immense knowledge of Quarantine Zone Theta's layout, I was able to locate the closest Women's Restroom to my slash Trinsha's lab, finding a line of women outside, including a Hunter Revenent.

"Doctor... someone's been in there for two hours... I can't stand the crying.. and most certainly can't... you know... do my business with that racket... plus it would be demeaning. For her, I mean... Could you do something please?"

"I'll look into it." I stepped into the restroom, the wailing I had heard earlier getting louder. I went down the lines of stalls, pushing the doors open in sequence. The one I came to that didn't open was the one I was after. "Zoey?" I asked simply.

"GO AWAY!" She shouted through the thin door.

"Zoey, come outta there."

"GO AWAY!!" She emphasized again, the sobbing continuing. I looked up, judging the gap between the ceiling and the top of the stall. About four feet. Just enough. I took a look down at my legs, duct tape wrapped around the core muscles of my upper and lower legs.

Funny thing about Hunters. Revenent or otherwise. A Hunter's leg power is so strong that the simple act of pouncing without some form of brace around their leg muscles actually causes said leg muscles to shred from the exhertion. The same can be said about their upper and lower arms. In short, the sheer power they can amass in their legs and arms could cripple them without some brace. Which duct tape made a perfect one.

"Here's the deal, Zoey. I'm going to start to count to three. And if this door isn't unlocked by that time. I'm coming in."

"Like HELL you are!" She shouted again. I smiled. O how little she knew.

"Five." I droned, turning to look at my reflection in the mirror. Stubble was beginning to show it's face on mine. I'd probably have to shave sometime either today or tomorrow.

"Four." I slipped my right hand up the left sleeve of my lab coat, scratching my arm on an itchy spot, catching a big bite. Bastard probably died from the tainted blood.

"Three." I hoisted my shoe up onto the marble counter top and began to correct the poor tying job I had done this morning, untying my shoe and retying it with a double knot.

"Two." I took my glasses off momentarily to wipe a kernle of solidified sleep from my eye, examining it up close before discarding it to the floor.

"One." Spinning on my heel, I dropped to a crouch, building a reserve of energy in both legs. Habitually, a slight growl escaped my lips as the strength built inside my legs, the muscles expanding and contracting to near super-human levels. It took only a few short seconds to build the strength needed to jump that measly distance. I pounced, the growl turning into a shriek as I left the ground. Nimble reflexes and even nimbler fingers allowed me to catch the support bar above the stall door. Swinging lightly, my foot came in contact with the door, bracing me and stopping my backward momentum. So there I hung, from the stall door in the women's bathroom.

Zoey shrieked, her legs recoiling up, her hands working with her legs to cover her 'place'. I grinned rather sadistically.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" She shrieked. I shrugged as best as I could hanging as I was.

"I said I was coming in, didn't I?" Her cheeks exploded into a torrent of red, but I don't think she was embarrassed. I thinks he was angry...

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! GO! GET!" She unlatched the door, kicked it open and tried to shove me out. My grip remained unfaltering as I hung unassisted from the support bar.

"Zoey, listen to me. You don't need to be mad at Emma. She had no idea." Zoey scrambled to put her underwear and pants back on as I spoke, staring her right in the eyes, unaffected by the otherwise opportunity I had elsewhere. "Zoey!" I shouted, her eyes locking with mine. "We're not even sure what they died of. It could be a million reasons. Now's not the time to wright Emma off. Besides." I shrugged again, dropping from my hang. "Emma loves you. And even if she only lives a few more days, she'll love you for a few more days. Besides, in the long run... even if this doesn't kill her... you know she'll outlive you, right? Us Revenents... we're... how you'd say, immortal. Our biological clocks stopped at the point of Infection. I'm sure she'll love you until the end. Don't write her off as a loss yet. Because she's sure as hell not writing you off yet." As I finished my schpeal, she had finished buttoning her pants. Her tears were still there, but the wailing stopped. "You okay?"

"I'll be okay..." She sniffed and wiped the last of a tear away. I nodded.

"Now, come on. There's an angry mob outside who wants to number one and number two." I stuck my hand out, which she took, and we exited. "Alright, ladies! All's clear!" I announced as we left. There came a collective sigh of relief from the crowd as they crowded in. I dropped to all fours, my upper body supported by my open hands pearched on my fingers, palms in the air. "Come on, Zoey. Let's get you back to the others. Every ridden one before?" I chuckled.

"First time..." She muttered sitting on my lower back, her legs tucked under my chest.

"Grab onto the collar of my lab coat. And don't let go." The 'go' slipped into a growl as I pounced away, down the hall.

Rebounding off anything I could hit from the previous pounce, I managed to keep a pretty hefty speed going. Of course, the force of the impact damaged a few trash cans, maybe a section or two of wall but... get some guys with some plaster and a can of WD-40 in here, and they'll fix them right up. Maybe bring some sandpaper and duct tape for good measure.

The door to the garage opened, with me sliding to a stop inside. Zoey dropped off me and I cracked my back standing.

"How do they do it?" I muttered, exhausted from the moment or two of consecutive pouncing.

"You're really obnoxious, Jake. Know that?" Trinsha's voice came.

"Yes. Yes I know." She let out a hacking cough. "You should really have that looked at. I could lead to lung cancer."

"What 'lungs', Jake. I've got thirty pounds of tongue resting where my lungs should be." I saw Emma's ears pique.

-At That Exact Moment-

My ears piqued at what Trinsha said. "What do you mean by that?" Trinsha looked at me, smiling.

"Oh, did I not tell you?" She had this sarcastic but smug look to her. "I'm a Revenent, like Jake. But, where as he's a Hunter; I'm a Smoker." Francis scooted a few inches closer to Louis, and whispered:

"I be she's popular with the ladies..." To which Louis slugged him in the shoulder. I watched Trinsha's tongue exit her mouth with some slick speed, snatch the cigarette from Bill's mouth, and retract it into her own. She took one puff and grinned, flicking the smoke back to Bill, who raised an eyebrow, put it back in his mouth, and took a puff himself.

"Neat trick you got there. Might be pretty useful in a lab."

"Not really. I'm always afraid of breaking something... or hitting someone."

"What's so bad about hitting someone?"

"Same reason I don't pounce on friendlies. Instinct, you know?" Jake responded.

"Yea, I hit someone, and next second, they're tangled up, and I'm pullin' em my way. It's great for the boyfriend... if I had one..." I shuttered.

"I don't mean to be pushy... but I'm hired by the hour... and I'll be needed back at HQ soon..." Henry spoke after finishing loading the cargo into the APC.

"YES! Of course! Emma, Zoey, you'll be in the left APC, on your ways to Aperture. Bill, Francis, Louis, you'll be joining Agnus and Henry to the Riptide building. Your assignments and objectives will be delivered closer to the destination." He snapped a salute. "Here..." He handed Bill a cell phone similar to mine. "If you need me, or Emma, contact us. I'm under 'Doc', and Emma is under... well... Emma." Bill nodded, pocketing the phone in one of the upper pockets of his flak jacket. "Right. Off you all go."

Ending Author's Note: Yes.. yes, get your laughs now. Trinsha DOES do this thing with her tongue that would make a rabbi eat pork. It's called ANYTHING she does.


	10. Algorythm

Nine: "Algorythm"

The last thing I could recall was the screaming of the APC's pilot as we hit something... something that exploded... The back of my head throbbed intensely, pain coursing up and down my whole body. Even though I was in great pain, I could tell I wasn't just lying on the ground. The area around me was clean, comfortable, and even painless. Slowly, my eyes opened.

Above me was a bright ceiling light shining down on my face. Squinting, I tried to avoid blinding myself. I grunted, shielding my eyes with a hand.

"Well, look who's awake!" A voice cooed to my side. Slowly turning, I tried to get a view of who spoke. The figure before me was that of a young woman, in her mid twenties, wearing a white, fifties style nurse's gown, a little nurse's cap on her head. She smiled, fluffing the pillow under my head.

"Where..." A voice came from my mouth. "Where am I?" The woman gave a smile again.

"You're at Mercy Hospital. Don't worry, you're perfectly safe now."

"What the hell happened?"

"You had a pretty nasty fall. You'll be okay, though, a nice lady brought you in, and asked me to see that you get the best of medical attention." Shutting my eyes, I shook my head, trying to get rid of the dizzy feeling I had. I looked to the other side, and to my surprise, Witch Emma was gone!

"Oh... my god..." I mused, sitting up and staring at my reflection. The white, matted hair was gone, beautiful, blonde locks replacing them. The piercing red which were my eyes had shifted to a serene green. I was wearing a hospital gown. I couldn't help but just stare at the nurse, who offered a smile in return.

"You're very pretty." She added in as almost a side note. Finishing with the pillow, she folded her hands over her waist. "If you need me, all you must do is ring this bell, and I'll come. Okay?" I gave a weak nod. Smiling, the woman left. Sitting, up, I stared at myself. My hands were normal, no longer long instruments of death. Slumping back into my bed, I tried to recall what happened.

Zoey. Francis. Louis. Bill. Doctor Ballenfield.

The Infection. Were they real? Was that reality, or some drug-induced nightmare? Millions of questions, no answers. I resolved that if things didn't sort themselves out by the time the morning, I'd at least try to figure out where I was. But as it stood, I knew about as much as a newborn child straight from the womb.

And at the moment, that included that I was someplace I wasn't before, and that this is all very strange to me.

-The Next Morning-

The dawn came with a slight tingling sensation in my arm, and more then a little headache. With the morning also came the nurse from last night, with food and another pillow fluff.

"Goood morning!" She came in announcing, after seeing me awake. I offered her a sleep-ridden smile and a slight wave. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well as I ever have, thank you."

"That's good." She grinned, putting the tray on my lap. "Brought you something to eat, thought you might be hungry. You've had nothing but liquid since you came in." The tray before me was certainly not what I would have expected from hospital food. Pancakes, syrup, waffles... everything I could hope for. My stomach growled at the looks of the platter. I must really not have eaten anything in some time.

"Uh... one question..." I piqued up.

"Certainly. What can I help you with?"

"Was there any kind of..." I stumbled to try to find the right words so I wouldn't sound stupid. "Any kind of infection recently?" I finally settled on, hoping I'd like the answer. The nurse thought for a time.

"Well, the only thing I can think of recently was a rash of Mad Cow... but nothing that would directly affect us, no... Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason it's just that..." I paused. "I had a weird dream." She smiled again at my comment.

"The mind has strange happenings when we're asleep. It's okay, though. You just relax, and you can leave by tonight." Funny... just hoping I could.

-That Night-

I was discharged from the hospital by the time to sun fell, and walking the streets of the city ten minutes after that. The hospital had returned my personal affects to me, personal affects I wasn't even aware I had. From a bag they unzipped, they began pulling things out. A wallet, complete with a driver's license. A small make up pouch that's seen better days, well stocked with foundation, eyeliner, and everything else I was probably going to need. A cell phone that looked as though it was dropped ten or fifteen times, and maybe ran over a few by a semi-truck. And finally, a grocery store paperback novel called Left For Dead. All this fit perfectly into the handbag they handed me as a first item.

My clothes were also, thankfully, returned to me. It would be something to see, a woman walking down the street in a hospital gown, her ass flashing ever passer-by. Although, I can't exactly call the tank top and microskirt much better... but at least it was something socially accepted to be seen in while walking around.

The first thing I came to notice when I was in the city was how vast and busy it was. People raced here and there to do who knows what on time. My head still hurt from... whatever happened, but at least the pain had subsided considerably, the dull, thumping pain now residing to a dull flicking pain, like some annoying seven year old brat flicking the inside of my brain case with his fingers.

Absentmindedly I descended the stairs which lead to the metro station below the city. The subway, while slightly old fashioned as far as transit methods were concerned, was a significantly faster and safer method, what with the cars backed up bumper-to-bumper on the surface streets. Sitting inside the subway car, I took interest in the book that was in my bag. Taking it out, I instantly noticed no bookmark. Maybe I hadn't started on this one? I couldn't really tell, that brat in my brain was not giving his fingers or my brain case a rest.

Fighting the thumping, I began to scan the book. It all looked too familiar to me... Female protagonist who wakes up with no knowledge of what happened previously, alone in a dead city. She shortly finds that she's the last living person in a city of zombies. Eerie similarity to myself, but I wasn't totally alone. But that's not where the eerie similarities end.

Four other characters make an appearance not much later in the second chapter. The first is a grizzled Vietnam Veteran named Bill who seems to have a smoking problem. The second is a crusty biker named Francis who shoots his mouth off as much as his gun. The third is a middle-class IT Technician putting up with far more crap then he's paid to, named Louis, and the final character is a Horror-Movie buff collage student named Zoey.

So that's it, then? The last three weeks have been nothing but my mind trying to finish this story for me, putting me in the protagonist's shoes? One who doesn't even have a name? Fucking wonderful. I closed the book and sighed. I must have been knocked pretty hard to have imagined all that. I don't even have that good of an imagination. Hell, in third grade I plagerized a story for fun.

Third grade? Memories... I actually have memories... This must be reality. It feels much more... real... then that other thing did. I started to read through to book again, this time, actually reading.

The train stopped about half an hour later, and I managed to power through about three chapters of my book. So far, everything is ringing awfully familiar to my previous 'reality'. I guess this is how the human mind works. We ingest so much information, the body has problems conveying it in a way our minds can read in a standard waking day, so it begins to convey it when the mind rests. Dreams. Or nightmares, depending on how you look at things.

Subconciously as I walked from the metro station, my thoughts shifted to Zoey. The real Zoey. ... Or at least the Zoey I thought was real. I could still feel where she snuggled closer on the APC the second time, I could feel the heat, almost like she never left. She had such a gentle voice, and such a lovable personality.

My body's auto pilot brought me to an apartment complex where I found myself searching about in my purse for a key fob. So many of my actions were on reflex, I must have done them dozens... millions of times in the past. Climbing the three flights of stairs to my apartment, I opened the door to an empty house, the sound of the A\C running the only break in the eerie silence. Taking my shoes off at the door, I went right to the television. Hopefully I won't see zombies as long as I live.

I can't really recall much of what was played on TV, I seemed to have drifted off before my eyes could remember much. That night's rest, despite me taking it on the couch, was restful and dreamless. The only complaint I had was the faint sound of the EKG machine still ringing about in my head. The sound was gone the next morning, replaced only by an alarm clock buzzing happily on my bedside table.

Hold the phone.

Go to sleep on the couch... wake up in bed...

Go to sleep on the couch... wake up in bed...

Go to sleep on the couch... wake up in bed with the overwhelming scent of bacon attacking my olfactory department.

I could hear someone in the kitchen just outside the door cooking bacon happily, humming a little tune. Grabbing hold of a guitar, I walked to the door, peeking out. Standing at the stove was a girl about my size, her brown hair tied neatly into a ponytail. The door squeaked, and the girl looked.

"Oh! G'morning, Emma. Hope you don't mind me cooking breakfast. I heard you were in some kind of accident last week, wanted to see how you were fairing. Thought I'd cook you breakfast."

"Who're'you?" I slurred, still a little groggy. The girl chuckled, smiling.

"Come on, Emma. We've lived next door for years. It's me." I still stared at her. "Zoey?" She shrugged. "Oh, come on. You and I used to watch zombie flicks like daily. Don't tell me you forgot. Those were my best years spent at collage!" She smiled and went back to the bacon. I grabbed my still-throbbing head and shook it.

There can't be this many girls I know named Zoey, can there? I mean... that's just plain weird. Or highly coincidental, I can't decide which between the throbbing of my head and the smell of the bacon.

"Oh, and I hope you don't mind me moving you to your bed. You look cute sleeping on the couch, but it does nothing for your back." She turned to face me and handed me a plate. "Food's up!" She took a seat on the couch and turned the TV on like any life-long friend would do. I took another seat a few inches away from her, watching the news. So many questions I had, and still no answers. Through my peripherals, I observed Zoey eating and watching the television, picking here and there at my food. "Something the matter, Emma?" She asked, noticing me staring. I quickly shook my head and dismissed it.

"No, nothing, sorry. My head still hurts a little. Trying to see if I can get it to stop."

"Oh, why didn't you say so. David always comes to me with complaints like that, and I always tell him to take some Tylenol with some warm tea. Does miracles for me, and I think it'll do you the same." Placing her fork and knife on her plate, and her plate on the coffee table, she stood. "Here, I'll go make you some tea."

"Oh, no, don't trouble yourself, Zoey, I'll get it."

"No, you sit and eat. I'll only be a minute." As I watched my neighbor walk into the kitchen the dream I had while unconcious came back. That Zoey... the dream one... we were so close... lovers... how do I stand with this Zoey? Are we just friends? Hardly a time to be testing waters, but I have to know these things.

"Zoey?" I spoke slowly, lining my fork next to my knife on the plate. "I have a question."

"Sure, Emma. What'sup?" She answered in a sly kind of sense.

"Are you and I..." I swallowed hard, thinking about Dream Zoey. "Are we..." Closing my eyes, I recomposed myself. "While I was in the hospital, I had this... really crazy dream. Zombies... infections, seventy percent of the western half of north America wiped out in moments... that kind of thing... and you were there."

"Oh, was I know? Dreaming about me, huh Emma? That's the first step of a proposal." She chuckled at her own joke. I gave a courtesy laugh, but I didn't find it that funny.

"It's odd you'd put it like that, because... in that dream... you and I were... pretty close."

"Close how? Twelve year old friends close... or what?"

"Well... Before I woke up, I think I was fixing to... ya know... sleep with you..." I heard a dish drop in the kitchen, some semi-expensive china shattering into pieces on the linoleum floor. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it, I'm sorry."

"No, Emma... I'M sorry. You've been my friend for twelve years, known better then anyone I was gay. I never thought I would ever, EVER in a million years impression you with that life style. You're a beautiful woman, and it's no lie I do like you... as more then a friend, but because you're my friend, I would never force anything on you."

"Zoey, no it's not like that..."

"I'm sorry if I did anything to hurt you, you know I never would do that..."

"Zoey... don't..." I could hear her sniffling in the kitchen. "Don't start crying."

"I can't help it..." She hiccuped some, sniffling more. Standing up and putting the breakfast on the table, I went into the kitchen. Zoey was hung over the sink crying, a paper towel over her eyes. I could hear her muffled sobbing. I walked around the counter and positioned myself behind Zoey, putting a hand on her shoulder, slowly lifting her to a standing position.

"Zoey, you didn't impress anything on me. I promise. I suppose in a way, I kind of already knew you liked me. And hey... who are we when we can't rely on our friends." I smiled at her through her running makeup and teared up face. "You have no reason to feel bad."

The television had gone to a commercial. An ad for a movie called 'Loss'. The tagline of 'Let's see how the subject handles loss' rang out, seeming completely random for the relatively happy moment. Zoey was still tearing up a little, but she had stopped cry, and my breakfast was probably stone cold by now.

A half hour passed, and I was just settling back into my normal routine.

"Hey, Emma. Hate to be a bother, but do you have any milk?"

"If there's none in the fridge then, no." I heard her swear a little.

"Well, I'm going to have to pay a visit to the grocery store for some."

"You be okay by yourself?"

"Yeeeaah!" She answered, walking back into the living room. "You just sit there and relax. I'll be back in two shakes." She took her jacket from the coat hanger and popped out the door. "See you in a little while, love." She closed the door and left.

And, as I would find out twenty minutes later, left forever.

Just shy under half an hour after Zoey left the apartment, the phone rang. I picked it up absentmindedly, a friendly but solemn voice greeting me.

"Is this Emma Windsor?" The voice spoke.

"Yes, this is she. May I ask who's calling?"

"My name is Detective Jake Ballenfield with the Metro Police Department. Do you have a few minutes to identify a body?" My heart sunk into my legs.

I raced down to the Police Station in record timing, my heart pounding in my chest. I was greeted there by the scruffy Detective Ballenfield who, besides being considerably older and much less fun to be around, looked exactly like the one from my dream. He welcomed me with a warm smile which hid the grim task ahead.

"Thank you for arriving so quickly. I'm afraid what I'm about to ask you might be a bit hard, but it will help our investigation." He lead me through the winding halls of the Police Station, to a morgue. "At eleven oh five this morning, the convenience store on eighth and grand was robbed by three masked men. One of the men had a gun. He fired three rounds to cover his retreat, one..." He pulled the cover away from the body on the table. "Found it's way into this young woman's heart." I hazarded a look. Her brown hair was pulled into a pony tail, her bangs matted against her pale skin. A large crimson stain blotted the red jacket she wore.

It was Zoey. Dead. With a shaky hand, I moved a few strands of hair from her forehead. I felt three warm tears roll down my cheeks, dropping to the table below. As I stood looking over her lifeless body, the kind words she spoke not even an hour ago echoed eerily. Even dead, she still looked more alive then anyone in the city. I put one hand on her chest, over the wound, and the other stroked her hair. I mouthed some words, but I can't seem to remember what. With the last of my strength, I placed a tender, short kiss on her cold lips. It was all I could manage.

The culmination of the event finally hit me. My legs grew weak and I couldn't move. Falling to the ground in a slumped heap, I sobbed. The detective managed to help me to the reception room of the Police Station, where I just collapsed wherever he let me go, and continued to sob.

Minutes passed as I cried. Time meant nothing, and as it seemed, neither did living. Until, however, a young female officer arrived with a man in hand cuffs.

"Detective, witnesses confirmed this is the man in your convenience store shooting. He had a nine mil on him. Recently fired." I stopped sobbing, and looked up. Through tear-blurred vision, I could see the man in cuffs. Even from this distance and through blurred vision, I could see that cocky grin on his face.

"You ain't got shit on me, copper." He boasted confidently. A guttural growl filled my throat as I stared at the man. The more I stared the more I wanted to tear his heart out of his chest, just as he had torn out mine. Slowly I stood, growling and snarling at him. "What's that bitch's problem?" He asked, directed at me.

"You...." My voice responded, raspy and shaken. He turned to face me, and I got a good read of the cocky bastard's shirt. I remember it, because it was the most perfect phrase ever, and applied quite perfectly here. On the front of him was a yellow yield sign with, in big white letters...

'You Have Startled the Witch.' Shrieking I charged, hands outstretched to claw his face off. The force from the impact knocked him down and the two officers away. With his hands bound in handcuffs he couldn't do anything to protect himself from the onslaught. With my bare hands I started to rip and shred at him, crying and wailing like a banshee the whole way. As I tore at flesh and hair, I could hear him scream and call for help. Help he would receive too late.

His scream died as his heart pumped the last bit of blood to his body. The bastard dead, and his blood on my hands, I threw my palms over my face and ran, crashing straight through the door, into the street, sobbing.

I ran as fast as I could until my legs finally gave out. There, I cried out what was left. And when none of that was left, I was truly done for. Vision cleared now, I looked to see where I ran. It was an abandoned lot a good distance from the police station. Several of the adjacent buildings to the lot had signs on them, advertising that 'Loss' movie. I read some of the signs, and something struck me as wierd. When read in the right order, the signs seemed less like advertising, and more like a dialogue.

One read 'Subject is Hostile' in big red letters.

The one next to that had 'Orders, sir?' followed by 'Let her Win'.

And the third and final one said 'Resuming Simulation'.

"Simulation?" I thought to myself. As I read the words on the signs, I could hear faint voices in the back of my head saying the same words. "Simulation?" A scary thought hit me.

Simulation. This isn't the real world! This is fake! A fantasy! I've been put into some created reality, some matrix of dreams! The buildings, ground and sky began to fizzle as this realization came to mind.

-At That Time-

"Uuuuhhh... sir?" A technician to my right spoke in a shaking voice.

"What?" I asked, looking at his screen.

"It's Subject two, sir. She's... coming out of IR." He muttered.

"Impossible. No one's pulled themselves out of IR since we've started testing."

"That may be the point, sir, but her Reality Levels are dropping. Her IR is going to fizzle any moment now. Heart rate is elevated, target is..." The EKG on the screen flatlined. "Uh... sir?" The technician looked up at the glass. My eyes eventually saw what he was looking at. Our second subject was awake and staring at me through the glass.

-

I stared into the glass, red eyes reflecting off the clear obstruction. Slowly, I looked back down to my hands. No longer human and beautiful, they were the long instruments of death I remember.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." I growled, placing one hand on the glass.

"Now, now..." A voice came from inside. "No need to get violent." He took a step away from the glass. Curling my hand into a fist, I bashed the glass, hearing it crack. "Hey! Hey, now, let's not do something we'll regret..." Bashing the glass a few more times, visible crack lines appeared across the surface.

"There's every need to get violent! Who the HELL are you to play with my emotions!? You're not god!" I bashed the glass a third time. "You're not a god!" A fourth time. "You're nothing!" Fifth. "You're just a lowly, lonely, scientist!" A sixth, and my fist went through. Clearing the glass some with my other fist, I started to take a step through.

"Don't just sit there you idiot! Activate the neurotoxin!" He barked to a technician to my right. His hand twitched to a red TERMINATE button, an action that caused the equal reaction for me to grab his hand and toss him through the window.

"Who the fuck are you?" I growled again, taking a few more steps forward, he backing up more, hitting the door. Scrambling to find the handle and unlock it, I strode forward more, grabbed him by the back of his neck and lifted him. He struggled for a bit before trying to claw my hand from his neck. Lifting him up, I pile-drove him into the floor, the tile cracking and breaking from the impact.

"Ga-guh..." He grunted, both hands affixed to my arm. While he was on the ground, I searched him. On his chest was a ID Card. Markus Ross, Chief Scientist Aperture Science Center. I stared at him through dead eyes.

"Aperture. Good. Just where I wanted to be. Where's Doctor Ballenfield's office!?"

"Do-" He choked. "Doctor Ballenfield hasn't worked here in... gah... years!" He gasped, trying to pry my grip free.

"Where's. His. Office?" I repeated, narrowing my eyes and staring into his.

"Third floor... second door on the right from the elevator... but... guph... you'll never get in without a key..." I smirked.

"We'll see."

-

THUD! The sound of my 'My Fist Your Door' style echoed dully throughout the hall, the door sporting a new dent in it's front. Doctor Ross was still hanging on to dear life, hoping I don't strangle him. A few more punches and my hand went through the door. Reaching around I unlocked it and opened the hole-ridden door. I threw the good doctor into the room, his body hitting a chair.

"Is this it?" Coughing and regaining composure, he nodded. "Good." Grabbing the computer's CPU from it's place, I tore it out, ripping several wires out. "Now. There's just one last thing." Tucking the CPU under one arm, I grabbed Ross by the collar, hoisted him up to my face.

"Where's Zoey?"


	11. Worst Day of your Life

Author's Note: I am terribly sorry about not updating for so long. Life's been hell recently, what with the economy and my work, but I'm back, and I'll try to resume my previous "Updated Weekly" schedule for you. Now, there were some concerns mentioned about Zoey and Emma not having any alone time. I see that I have, in fact, dawdled far too long, and I promise upon my mother's grave that you will have your love scene next chapter.

Ten: "Worst Day Of Your Life"

"Who's Zoey?" Ross asked, trying to get free.

"Come on. You know. She's about my height, brown hair in a pony tail, beautiful green eyes, red jacket. Came in with me. Where is she?"

"Oh... subject three... uh... right this way..." Releasing my grip on his collar, he straightened his coat out, cleared his throat and exited through the hole which was where the door once was.

As he walked, I took it upon myself to examine my surroundings. The hallways were clean, almost pristine, although all the white hurt my eyes. Most of the doors and other odds and ends which made the otherwise drab hallway populated were emblazoned with a broken orange circle, which resembled the rifled barrel of a pistol. Under one, I saw the word "Aperture". I was most definitely within the halls of the Aperture Science center, but I couldn't tell what. The way he said 'floor three' earlier led me to believe we were in a building, but I couldn't see any windows, or any other holes to the surface, which lead me to believe we were underground.

Underground or above it didn't matter. All that did was getting Jake's computer, getting Zoey, and getting the hell out of here as fast as humanly possible. I didn't want to remain here any longer then I had to, and I was pretty certain Zoey didn't want to, either. Once I found her.

Doctor Ross lead me to a similar room which I awoke in, this time, lying on the table was Zoey, several electrodes attached to her chest and forehead. Several techincians sitting at the consoles jumped at the sight of me.

"How's Subject Three progressing?" Ross asked upon entering. After taking a few much-needed seconds to regain her composure, a female technician answered.

"Uh... her EKG levels are normal, stress and body temperature are slightly elevated, but nothing to be concerned about, Doctor."

"Excellent. Begin the resuscitation process."

"But, Doctor!" The female spoke again. "We've never resuscitated someone who's been in IR for so long! I don't know if we can safely do it."

"Well, we must try, musn't we? If we don't, this fine... lady will have no problems liberating a few of our limbs from our torsos." He spoke with a forced calmness. He was trying so hard not to panic. The technicians collectively swallowed a lump.

"Y-yes Doctor." She turned back to the console and punched a few buttons. There came a beep, followed by a hiss. "Resuscitation process beginning. Time until completion, twelve hours."

"Tweleve HOURS?!" I blurted out. "I'm hearing that right, aren't I? Twelve HOURS, that's bullshit!" I continued, clenching a fist as best I could.

"These things take time, lady." Ross spoke. "The last thing we want is to kill her while we try to bring her back. We can't rush things, you understand?" I stared at the doctor, and as much as I didn't want to believe him, I did. Rushing something that was as delicate as I imagined this was, would probably be a poor decision on my part.

But then again... I didn't want to spend twelve minutes more in this place, let alone twelve hours. There had to be a safe and fast way.

"There's gotta be a faster, safe way." I spoked, growling some.

"I wish there was, but this is as safe and fast as it gets! Not everyone is like you, girl." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Which reminds me, Marcia, we no longer use Tragedy Events until subject has been in IR for no less then three months."

"Yes, doctor." The girl from before spoke. Twelve hours... like hell I was waiting. Balling my free hand into a crude fist, I punched the glass, the pane shattering, showering the room inside with shards of broken glass. "Oh, my!" The girl jumped at the loud 'crash'.

I took three large steps into the bland testing room and set the CPU on the ground at my feet. Taking another two steps, I came to Zoey's side. Ripping the electrodes from her forehead and body, I stared at her. There has to be a way to get you awake...

Stroking her hair and cheek, my brain worked into overdrive trying to think of a way to wake her up. I could hear her soft breathing, the rising and falling of her chest confirming she was still alive. I looked about for anything, any kind of noise-maker, or music-playing device. Nothing. Not even a damn painting in this room.

"Zoey?" I spoke some, close enough where only myself and, hopefully, she could hear. "It's time to get up, Zoey, you and I have places to be and people to see..." Nothing. Not even a muscle spasm. I swore softly under my breath, my mind racing, just trying to think of anything. Lying so peaceful on that table made her kind of look like Sleeping Beauty.

...

Ah, what the hell, it was worth a shot.

Moving a strand of hair from Zoey's sweating forehead, I stared. This was so damn cliche, and so damn sappy, I could feel the sap oozing off of this whole moment. Placing both hands the girl, one on her forehead and one on her chest as I had done with Dream Zoey, I leaned closer to her lips, so close I could feel the warm air escaping them. Whatever it was she was exhaling was causing my heart to run faster then it was capable of, the organ slamming against my ribcage and sternum.

The first kiss I gave her was light, hardly worth of the title of kiss, more of a quick peck. But regardless of how quick or light it was, it served it's purpose well. I got a taste of her, the warmth still coursing through her body. Though she breathed only minutely, I could tell, by the warmth of her lips, life still pumped in her.

"Come on, Zoey... don't you die on me..." I was honestly afraid that at any second, her life's candle would just go out. Stroking her hair, I hummed a tune in the back of my throat. I heard the scientists and technicians talking behind me, but I neither cared what they said, nor could hear them all too well. Beneath her eyelids, I could see her retinas moving sporadically back and forth. She was dreaming about something, but what it was was a mystery to me. And something told me it was best kept that way.

Leaning down ever closer, I fought off dry mouth and a thumping heart. Running my tongue over my upper and lower lips one last time, I finally did what I set out to. Pressing my lips to hers at such an awkward angle was, for fear of sounding repetitive, awkward. But, it ranked as the most romantic thing I've ever been blessed with. With one hand still on her chest, I felt her heart rate accelerate, the throbbing now almost blending with my own. The EKG behind he reflected that. Her eyelids began to flicker, threatening to fly open at any second. And finally, she took one deep breath, and her eyes met mine.

I pulled away, still shocked and rather embarrassed that such an old and sappy method actually worked. She stared up at me, with this blank look.

"Emma?" She asked, her words dry and hoarse, as dry as my first words were.

"Hey, beautiful." I spoke, smiling. She shut her eyes and shook her head.

"Oh, it's this dream again..." She muttered to herself, both hands shielding her eyes. Grabbing a wrist, I pulled one of her hands down.

"No dream, Zoey. I'm real. You're real. We're all real people."

"But... you died... I watched you die..."

"You're still a little confused. Here... sit up."

"Uhm... it should be noted that you may be suffering from a touch of muscle atrophy from your stint in IR..." Ross spoke through the hole in the glass.

"Okay, that's enough. What the HELL is IR?" I asked, facing him. Clearing his throat and taking a step into the room, he spoke.

"Well... IR, or Induced Reality, is a concept Aperture has been working on and off on for the last sixteen years. Basically, what happens is we have discovered that the cause of ninty percent of the Braindead patients in hospitals is the brain, essentially, dies from boredom. With nothing to entertain the mind, it slowly begins to loose interest in the safety of the body and... dies." I removed three diodes from Zoey's head as he spoke. "Induced Reality is a method to keep the mind entertained while the body heals. The computer scans the subject's brain and generates a world fit for that person. A perfect world, if it were, where the rule of the person inside is law. As your friend here demonstrated, Zoey, in wishing to be released from the hospital, she was."

"However, the system is not perfect. There is a fairly... ehm... substantiated claim that IR leads to some... undesirable side effects..."

"Side effects? What kind of side effects?" I asked, helping Zoey to her feet, as her legs gave out.

"Insanity, insomnia in the IR world, paranoia, and... in two or three cases, death. But we're slowly working out the bugs." My head started to spin. All this was very confusing.

"Testing on innocents? Why?" I asked harshly.

"It's the only way to get an accurate reading. People who are aware of the process my contaminate the results."

"So you kidnap people? That's immoral!"

"Only from your standpoint, my dear. The Aperture Way. We do what we must, because we can." Ross quoted. "It means that no price is too grate for the advancement of all. Even death.

"So, you don't give a damn about anyone, do you? Is that your gig?"

"Our 'gig', my dear, is the scientific advancement of all humans. To make an omelet, you must first break the egg. The omelet is advancement, and the egg is morals. The seconds cannot happen without the first shattering. It is how things have always been."

"You seem rather calm for a murderer." I harshed back, my eyes narrowing.

"Sticks and stones. One man's murderer is another man's freedom fighter." I was loosing this conversation fast. He was pretty well dug into his beliefs, and nothing I would say could change his mind. I sighed.

"Alright, enough. Just... let us leave." Ross held both hands out.

"That's fair. We brought you here against your will, and you want to leave. I can understand that. Where are you going to go?"

"Quarantine Zone Theta. Where else?"

"Let me help you. But before you go, I will say one thing. No matter what, NEVER trust an Aperture Scientist if it is life you wish to preserve." I raised an eyebrow.

-

Doctor Ross had hooked us up with an Aperture vehicle and a map to the Quarantine Zone. We seemed to be miles away, somewhere in Virginia. Pennsylvania was going to be a long drive from here...

"I feel like I've been asleep for weeks... I can't feel my legs..."

"Must be that atrophy he was talking about. Once you start walking around, you muscles will come back."

"What the hell were we doing for our leg muscles to atrophy in a few hours?"

"I'm not sure, Zoey, but I don't think I want to think about it." Before we left, Doctor Ross had left us with a very cryptic set of parting words. He had looked me straight in the eye as I loaded the CPU into the truck, and said 'Never trust an Aperture Scientist'. What was that supposed to mean? And more importantly, why did it give her the chills?

The map provided lead us right back to the Quarantine Zone's front gate. We were stopped by the usual Military Guard.

"Halt. Identify yourself." He spoke in a drab monotone voice.

"Emma and Zoey... we're with Doctor Ballenfield." Zoey spoke. The guard tipped his helmet back, stuck the front end of his flashlight into the car, and looked at both our faces.

"You don't look infected. Head on in." Taking a step back, he opened the gate for us. We parked and made due haste for Doctor Ballenfield's office, a twin-bladed military transport helicopter taking off just over a building. We raced down the hall, CPU under arm. Stopping just before Doctor Ballenfield's office door, we caught our breath, and words caught our ears.

"I can tell you for sure, mister, the south's infected too." A husky voice dribbled through the steel door.

"Dammit... Savannah to New Orleans? So, it's official, then. The US is now a Quarantined Area. If it gets much worse... we can expect the government to-"

"Don't... don't say that." A young female voice spoke, cutting off Doctor Ballenfield's. With out breath caught we entered, the door banging on the frame as it swung open.

"It's the truth, Ro, as much as you- don't- want... to..." Doctor Ballenfield's voice trailed off as he looked at us. He grabbed at his side and drew a desert eagle, pointing the barrel at Emma and I. "Stop right there!" He stared through his glasses. "Who the hell are you?"

"Doctor? You can't be serious? It's Zoey and I." I spoke, taking a step forward. His aim faultered. "Doctor?"

"Take a step inside, I can't see you all the way in the dark corner there." He muttered. We both stepped into the light. As if he'd not seen us in months, he dropped the gun and sprinted to us, pulling us both into a hug. "Jesus Christ, girls, where the hell have you been? God... we thought you were dead!"

"Don't be silly, Doctor, we were only gone for a few days." Zoey smiled as he pulled away. He stared at us with a blank look, one of both confusion and interest.

"Uh... Zoey? Emma? You guys have been gone longer then a few days."

"What are you talking about?" Zoey asked, still smiling, thinking this is a joke.

"You guys left two months ago for Aperture. When you didn't call in a week, we thought you were dead. We assumed you were dead. Hell, we even held a funeral!"

"The hell was in the caskets?"

"Sand, concrete chips and drywall adding up to about your weights... what the hell happened to you?"

"Crazy Aperture Scientist had us hooked up to some machine... an... Induced Reality machine."

"They got it to work?" Jake asked. Almost immedietly after, he shook the thought away. "Never mind, more important things at hand. Ladies, I'd like you to introduce you two four people, in very similar situations to you. This is..."

He motioned to the table he was at earlier. Four of the people I identified at Louis, Francis, Bill and Trinsha, but the other four were new. The first was a scrawny little white boy that didn't look too awfully bright in the head. The second was a taller man in a white suit, a ring on nearly every finger. Looked like he could con anyone out of anything. The third was a pudgy black fellow with no hair, in a polo shirt. And the fourth was a mulatto woman with a red t-shirt on and a Channel 10 logo on her pants.

"This is Ellis, Nick, Coach as many call him, and Rochelle. They arrived in a military helicopter not five minutes ago. Fresh off the boat from New Zombileans, Louisiana." None of the people had previously noticed our arrival, only because they were preoccupied in another corner of the room discussing 'tactics' and 'strategy' at the time. It was around this time that said mulatto woman noticed me.

"Holy shit! Witch!" I heard her cry.

"Ah, fuck, not this again...." Just as I got this off, I heard, then felt, the Desert Eagle fire and hit me in the shoulder. The impact knocked me around a good bit, but really didn't hurt in the long run. I've felt worse. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Francis bat the gun out of her hand.

"You piss her off, and I ain't helpin' you. I seen Emma mad. Not fun."

"Rochelle! Whoa!" Jake shouted, moving to cover me. "Hang on, Ro, she's a friend. A Revenant, just like Trinsha and I. Don't go all gun ho, alright, just... settle down." He turned back to me and helped me up. "Like I said. Fresh off the helicopter from New Zombileans. A tad jumpy."

"Hey, Zoey, Emma..." Francis smiled as he walked closer. "Damn good to see you two again. Makes me feel tons better."

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Because I hate funerals."

"And... oh ho ho! Dis be my computer from Aperture!?" Jake asked, grabbing the CPU from under my arm.

"Yea, that's it. Was not fun getting it."

"Thank you, Emma! I can't thank you enough! With the information stored here, I should be able to synthesize the remaining bases for stopping this infection. Before CEDA authorizes their contingency plan."

"Contingency Plan?" Zoey and I echoed.

"Oh... that's right. As of two fourty five EST, the Center for the Eradication of Dangerous Afflictions, has given us a two week deadline to stop the infection... or they nuke the entire country." Jake spoke, a grim frown growing on him. "But it doesn't matter!" He smiled. "They can't nuke us once I get the info from my computer!" He put it on a table, produced a screwdriver from seemingly nowhere, and began opening the case. The four newcomers came up to meet us.

"Hey. Name's Nick. You're... Emma and Zoey, right?" He pointed to us, but mixing our names up.

"I'm Zoey, that's Emma." Zoey corrected him.

"Ah. Well, it's nice to finally meet you. Jake wouldn't shut up about you."

"Yea, it's true." The lanky white boy, Ellis, picked up. "He kept talkin' 'bout you two. 'Zoey' this and 'Emma' that. Always tellin' stories too. Hell, he told this one about..."

"Ellis?" Francis spoke.

"Yea?"

"Can it." Francis finished.

"Ah, I'll tell ya'll later."

"Oh, isn't that just FUCKING typical!" Jake's voice swore loudly. "Cocksuckers took my damn Hard drive!" Slamming the case shut, the jammed the screwdriver back into this pocket. "On to plan b..."

"What's plan B?" We all asked in unison.

"It's late. You all musts be tired. I insist you return to your rooms and sleep. I'll be glad to explain Plan B to you all in the morning." He walked to Zoey and I, pulling us closer, whispering so only her and I could hear. "And I believe I owe you two an apology for the interruptions. You two get some 'rest' and I'll see you later." We both nodded and started to leave with the others as Jake went back to work.

"You're gonna go to bed too, right Jake?" Trinsha asked.

"Yea in like... three hours." Facepalming, Trinsha sighed.

"Do excuse me." She told us, throwing her tongue around Jake, wrapping him up and pulling him to bed.

"WOMAN! You will release me from this tongue this instant! I! MUST! KEEP! WORKING!"


	12. How The World Has Changed

WARNING! The following chapter contains adult situations. It also contains what has been identified by the CEDA as an "HLS* Class Outbreak". If you are not immune to the HLS Strain, please do not enter this chapter.

Eleven: "How the World has Changed And Why We Don't Care"

Two months? Was that even possible? One moment I was sitting on an APC... and the next moment, it's two months later. What happened in those two months? Is this why I was so weak? Is this why we were so weak? As I lay in bed, staring at the whirling fan above me, several thoughts ran through my head, and a certain pair of wonderful hands through my hair.

"Hey. What'cha thinkin' about?" Zoey asked, curling up in bed next to me, one hand lying limp across my stomach.

"Too many things. I mean... how much have we missed in the last two months?"

"Our own funerals, apparently." I gave a grim chuckle at the thought. I could just picture us dressed in funeral black, attending our own precession. Wasn't a real funny thought but... it was complicated.

"But, of all the things I missed in those months, there's one thing I'm glad I got back." I responded, still staring at the fan above. Zoey's hand rubbing my stomach absentmindedly.

"Mm? What's that?" She asked with a smile in her voice. I rolled over a little in bed and faced her. She had taken the pony tail out of her hair, letting her beautiful hair fall onto the pillow. As I rolled over, I took hold her hand which previously stroked my stomach in both of mine. She blushed a little as I gave it a little kiss. "I missed your voice and your touch. I missed your eyes... and I missed your smile." Nudging a little closer, I gave her a tender kiss, and a retreating nip on her upper lip. The brown-haired girl laughed sweetly, and pulled herself closer for a hug, getting one arm under my neck and the other under one of my arms.

"That's what I love so much about you, Emma. You're so sweet... so caring..." She rubbed her upper leg against mine, sighing. "There's so much of you to love. I'd be crazy not to." There came a pause where we were both content to just hold one another, lying on the bed like we were. "Emma?"

"Hm?"

"Not to speculate too much... but when Jake fixes this... when everything goes back to normal... What do you plan on doing?" I thought about this for a few moments, the gears in my head turning.

"Well... what I can say is that I will love you for the rest of my life." She blushed and laughed some. "But after that... I can't say." Breaking her embrace, I rolled onto my back and patted my stomach. Zoey hopped up posthaste. "Probably try to get a job... maybe file my nails down some." I smiled. The girl on my chest bent down and kissed my cheek. "What about you?" Zoey smiled at my question.

"I have no idea, but I can tell you right now what I plan on doing to you now." I raised both eyebrows, and cracked a smile.

"Sounds fun." She zipped her sweater down, pulling it away from her body, discarding it somewhere on the radiator. Grabbing the tails of her tank top, I spoke up. "Why do I feel overdressed for this?"

"Because you are." She grinned, pulling her top off. I tried my best to take off the little pink top. "Hang on, silly. Don't do something that'll rip it. I'll help you." Throwing the tank top somewhere in the generalized vicinity of her sweater, she helped me out of that little pink top. Dropping it just off the side of the bed, she looked at me with eyes that conveyed only complete trust and happiness. I'm never much one to compare sizes, especially to another woman, but as far as things went, her and I were fairly close in cup sizes. She compared at around the higher ends of the C range, while I struck somewhere in the middle. "Wow, we really are alike in so many ways." She added with a giggle.

"This would be a funny way to start a story. 'So there's Zoey and I. Comparing breast sizes...'" I started, getting another laugh from her. Leaning over, her chest pressed to mine, her breath caresses my ear. In a hushed voice she whispers

"No matter what happens to us... either of us. I want you to know, Emma, that I'll always protect and love you."

"At the rate you've been going, Zoey, I think I'll be the one protecting you." I responded with a playful chuckle. She laughed, and I laughed, and for a half second, I almost forgot how rightfully screwed the entire world was right now.

Unlatching her bra, letting it playfully drop on my chest, she smiled and blushed. She had probably never completely disrobed in front of another living person before. I can't say I've done it before either. Which is true, everything from the time I woke up in that airport alone is a total blank.

I can't... with a straight face and a pale complexion tell you exactly what happened between Zoey and I. Suffice to say never in the history of my memory have I felt so calm... so serene then those few hours her and I spent together. Teetering on the brink of exhaustion, her and I sighed, Zoey's arms around me, her chest, stomach and legs pressed against me. I could feel her heartbeat against my back, her body heat warming me.

-At that time-

Bill kicked his feet up against the small table he and Francis shared. Francis shuffled the deck of cards he kept in his vest pocket.

"Feel like a game, Grandpa?" He asked, bridging the cards between his hands.

"Don't call me grandpa." Bill replied, pulling his pistol from his holster and field stripping it. "And no. Last time we played, you cheated."

"Did not. I don't have sleeves, so I can't have anything up them." There came a rather bothersome squeak from some random direction. "Dammit... that squeaking is back. Damn air conditioner. I hate when things break." Bill chuckled.

"That ain't the air conditioner, Francis."

"Oh, really? The hell is it, then?" Bill only smiled and chuckled, adjusting his beret and continuing to clean his pistol.

"You got a lot to learn about life." Putting the cards back in his vest, he stood up.

"Whatever. I'm going out." Bill only grunted an answer. As he left the room, the squeak was still audible. "I'm gonna have to talk to Doctor Ballenfield about that. That is loud..." From behind him, there came a hacking cough, followed by a lanky tongue wrapping around him, binding his arms. "Whathe-" He couldn't say much before he was being dragged backwards. "Bill! Help!" He called weakly. Half range, half inability to speak effectively (A tongue with a muscle capacity of a boa constrictor will do that to you.) was to blame. "Smoker's..."

"Oh, sush." A female voice spoke as the tongue went limp. Watching the thin, muscular constrictor roll back, Francis followed it back to it's owner, Trinsha Ballenfield. "You think I was trying to kill you."

"You scared the crap out of me. You're lucky I didn't have a gun."

"You wouldn't have shot me." Trinsha said confidently.

"Ooooh... really. And what makes you think that?" Francis smirked as the doctor covered her mouth against another hack. Smiling after she finished, she placed her hands on the biker's shoulders, took a step closer and kissed him.

"Because you love me too much." The tough-on-the-outside biker smiled and gave a defeated scoff.

"You know me too well." He returned her kiss with a caring smiled. "Is Jake asleep?"

"God, finally. It took three shots of Xanax to put him down, but I finally pulled it off." She held her hand out. "Come on. Let's get something to eat. I'm famished." Francis took her hand and they walked off towards the food court. "Ya know... Jake's a good kid... but he's such a handful. When he gets something in his head, he doesn't sleep until he pulls it off." Francis chuckled. "What?"

"You two are more alike then you know."

"Bullshit." Trinsha quickly responded.

"No, seriously. Once YOU get something in your head, you don't sleep until it happens."

"Bull. Shit." She repeated. Francis narrowed his eyes.

"You waited outside my door for three days, waiting for me to ask you out. You didn't budge until I did." Trinsha gave an uneasy titter.

"Okay... so maybe Jake and I are a little more alike then I'd like to admit. But we're also vastly different!"

"You're both insanely smart. You're both stubborn. You're both... not bad... looking people."

"You trying to say he's cute?"

"Not... in so many words." Trinsha smiled at his obvious uneasiness. "I'm not gay, I've told you this already."

"Riiiiiight." The doctor smiled.

"You bait too much."

"You bite said bait too much." Was her response. Francis went quiet at this. He bit bait a lot. That was one of his admitted personal flaws. She stopped in the middle of the hall. "But I wouldn't have you any other way." She gave him a light peck on the cheek. "You need a shower."

"Aw, come on! Way to kill the mood." She laughed at the outburst.

"Nah. Not really." Francis looked around. "What's wrong?"

"Don't you think this is wierd?"

"What's weird?"

"You're nineteen... I'm thirty one..." Francis answered. Trinsha scoffed.

"Nonsense." She smiled. "I'm legal, you're legal. My parents were twenty years apart. No biggie. Besides..." She trailed off. "When everything comes down to it... and we're all heroes... who will care? Nintey percent of the United States are zombies. They won't care." Francis' Biker Mind churned this through for a couple seconds before realizing she was right. When the only thing you can come to is 'brains', the age of two people dating really didn't matter.

"Ah, hell. Yer right." He gave her a hug. "I like dating someone smart."

"As long as I'm not trying to explain quantum physics, right?"

"Right."

-Meanwhile, Three Levels Up-

Fitting the earmuffs over his ears, Louis stared at the paper target downrange. He was bound and determined to figure out why his accuracy sucked balls, and he wasn't leaving this range until he figured out why. Tucking the assault rifle under his arm, he fired a few times at the paper zombie target. Even at this range, he could tell the hits would be superficial at best. Groaning, he swore.

"Man, I still can't hit shit!"

"I can tell you why." Came a sweet female voice. From the door frame walked the slender figure of the Mulatto woman from the briefing earlier. Rochelle. "Your problem is here..." She put one hand under Louis' left hand, the one which supported the weapon's barrel. "This shouldn't just be your support, it should be the guide, too. Hold on to the gun, don't just cradle it." Taking her advice, Louis tightened his grip on the barrel, and fired a few more rounds off, shredding into the target's neck and torso.

"Hey! That did work! Thank you." Rochelle smiled at Louis' thanks. "Hey, you wanna get something to eat?"

"Sure. What did you have in mind?"

-Back With Emma-

I felt a soft moan escape my lips, the sound filling the small room with a cry of pleasure. I could still feel where Zoey's fingers were seconds ago, although they were now in her mouth, licking herself clean. Beneath the covers, we were both undressed, pressed to one another, and loving every second of it. My heart still raced from her touch, the toll of the hours starting to settle into my eyes, evident in the yawn.

"Did I wear you out?" Zoey smirked playfully, cuddling a little closer. I chuckled a little through another yawn.

"You could say that." I felt Zoey shift, rolling over. "We should probably get some sleep. Morning will be here before you know it."

"Yea..." Zoey agreed, a yawn coming to her, as well. "Ya know... I've always wanted one of those heart tattoos... Ya know, the ones where you brand your lover's name into your... abdomen, or something. Kinda cheesy, but I find it cute." I stared at Zoey's shoulders and back, where her neck met her shoulders.

"I can probably pull that off for you." I muttered airily. "Might hurt a bit."

"Nothing you do ever hurts." She responded in typical sappy fashion. "Go ahead." She chuckled.

"If you insist." Pulling back a few inches, I ushered her up. "Sit up, come on. Where do you want it?" She pointed to the soft flesh on her right side.

-Common Room-

Nick and Ellis kept themselves entertained in the common room, near the pool tables. Nick would shoot while Ellis talked. Not much of what Ellis said made it past the crack of pool balls. However, one particular line of conversation caught Nick's attention.

"So, what'cha think about the Rev'nants?" The southern boy asked the hustler.

"What... like Jake and all them? They're all right, I guess." He slapped the white cue ball with the stick. " 'Cept that Emma girl. Creeps me right the fuck out, man. Right the fuck out." He hit the ball again.

"Aw, come on, man. She can't be that bad. Doctor J wouldn't speak so highly of her if she was bad, ya know?"

"I didn't say she was bad, Ellis, I said she was creepy." He knocked the black 8 ball into a pocket. "Dammit..." He muttered, resetting the ball. "Besides... the Revenants, I don't think, like me. I think that one who is the president of the RMA has it out for me."

"Ya met her once, Nick. She can't hate or like ya on the first meeting."

"'Course you can. Like you. The second I saw you, I knew you'd piss me off. You haven't disappointed yet." Ellis took this as a joke and chuckled.

"Room for one more, boys?" Came the familiar voice from the same Hunter Revenant they were just talking about.

"God damn Karma..." Nick muttered.

-Later-

A dim blue light illuminated the small bedroom as a figure sat at the computer which produced it. Even in the low light, the careless hairstyle and silvery reflection of duct tape could be seen. Doctor Ballenfield typed unending on the computer, still trying to figure out what it was that could cure the Infection. A phone rang in his pocket.

"Jake. Go ahead."

"Doctor Ballenfield, this is Alyssa at QZ Alpha! I've got good news!"

Ending Author's Note: Well, there it is. Chapter Twelve of Cry Witch. Before ya'll start headin' to my house with pitchforks and torches crying about how crappy that love scene was, lemme say this. That is as far as I feel comfortable taking it on Fanfiction. I honestly believe that if I carried it much farther, the Admin would flag it, and I'd have my account suspended for two weeks. Again. And I don't want that.

So, in this chapter, we see how the two months have faired on our heroes. We all know what happened to Emma and Zoey. Francis and Trinsha hooked up, which is probably a tad surprising to you. And it looks like Love is in the air for Louis. And what of Nick and Ellis? Eh. Don't care much for the L4D2 Characters much, but we'll see. And what about this good news from Quarantine Zone Alpha? Could a cure be on the rise? Or am I just trying to create undue suspense? Only time will tell!

Oh, and an "HLS Class Outbreak" is my code word for lesbian goodness. HLS means Hot Lesbian Summertimefun. Yea... that's it...


	13. Evacuation Directive

Twelve: "Evacuation Directive"

I woke up the next morning to the sounds of gunfire very close. At first, they were distant, almost ignorable. But as they began to rise in decible, so did my average awareness of what was happening.

"-ma!" A barking voice came through like a speaker in water. "-ma!" The voice came again, something in the distance shaking me a little. I held onto the pillow tighter. "-mma!" The voice continued. "-mma, -s ti- -o ge- -p! NO-!" Was all that came out. As the voice spoke, it became clearer.

"God dammit, girl! Get your ass out of bed!" The sentence was punctuated not by the typical exclamation point, but by a solid burst from an M-16. The nudge became almost earthquake material. I still didn't quite grasp that this wasn't a dream. I didn't at least, until I heard the gun go off very close to my face. "EMMA!" The voice was Jake. The sound was an assault rifle and... gurgled screams "Emma, get the fuck out of bed, we got problems!" I felt his foot kicking me in the face.

"What... Jake...?"

"Good, you're up. Get dressed. We got some problems in QZT."

"What kind of problems?" I muttered. I heard him sigh, and pull me out of bed by the arm. Using me as a shield, he tucked the barrel of the assault rifle under my arm and fired, shattering the torso of an Infected.

"That kind of problem, come on!" I stood a gasp at the situation. Judging from the alarm which echoed in the hall, and the chaotic screams from all around, the grave situation came to light. Quarantine Zone Theta had been breached.

"Emma? What's going on?" Zoey muttered, still in la la land herself. I ran over to her side of the bed.

"Come on, Zoey, we got to get out of here... we're not safe anymore." She came around much faster then I did. Jake's weapon clicked a few times and, snarling, he discarded it on the bed, and began using his stubby claws to shred his way through the Infected.

"Why do they keep coming?" Zoey groaned.

"Oh, got vomited on by a Boomer on my way here. Hadn't quite worn off yet. Come on, ladies, get dressed. Hope you know where you can get some weapons." Opening the bedside table, Zoey produced a pair of silver plated nine millimeters, and gunned down the smoker who tried to make figgy pudding out of Jake.

"Thanks. Come on. I'll hold them off, you get dressed. Be a dear and dress quickly, if you would." I nodded and gathered up some of our scattered clothing. Having no time to sort the Emma Variety Clothing from the Zoey Variety Clothing, we wound up dressed in each others clothing. As we finally emerged dressed and more-or-less fully awake, Jake tapped the small Blue Tooth headset on his ear.

"Team Two, check in." He spoke. Even over the gunfire, I could hear what he did.

"Team Two here. The Civilians are in lock down. The Immune are picking up arms and assisting, the Unimmune are holed in their quarters." Came Bill's voice over the tiny headset.

"Excellent. Emma and Zoey are awake. We're heading to the commons now. Team Three, check in."

"Team Three here." Came Nick's voice. "The Infected have yet to make it to the common area. But I don't know how long that'll last. We're getting slowly overrun here, and any help will be nice."

"Team Four, what's your location?"

"Team Four here. We're currently on floor... sixteen, holding ground and awaiting instructions." Came Louis' voice.

"Good. New instructions, Team Four, proceed to the common area and back up Team Three."

"Got ya." He tapped the headset again, the waves of Infected trickling to nothing.

"I think they're slowed down now. We should move. Grab whatever you need, and let's book." Jake grabbed the assault rifle from the bed and slung it over his back. Zoey handed him one of her pistols and we exited the room, the door could never close again, not after so many bodies had been piled there.

The hallway outside was clear both up and down. We began to follow the spiraling corkscrew down towards the common room. From above us came the sounds of heavy footsteps and a distinct rumbling. A Tank.

"Shit... this is no place to meet a Tank..." We waited, ready for the monster. We saw two figures come down the corkscrew, one wearing a hoodie, the other the muscle-bound image of a tank. The second the Hunter and Tank saw us, they threw their hands up as Zoey and Jake leveled their weapons.

"Friendlies!" The hunter shouted instantly.

"Jesus fucking Christ in HEAVEN, Mica! I could have shot you! Take that damn hoodie off, before you get yourself killed!" The hunter dropped the hood on her sweater, a beautiful woman beneath it, her hair pulled into a pony tail. "And you, Arnold, you're about as stealthy as a pregnant woman going into labor!" Zoey breathed a sigh of relief, as Jake seemed to know these two.

"Sorry, Doctor. We heard the commotion and we're going to help reinforce the common area." Arnold, the muscle-bound Tank Revenant spoke.

"Good. Come with us." Jake tapped the Blue Tooth headset again. "Team One to all teams. I'm returning to the common area with two other Revenants in tow, Mica and Arnold. We're reinforcing the common area."

"Check Team One." Came Bill again.

"Come on Zoey, Emma. Let's go."

"Hey, you're Emma!" Arnold spoke as we began moving again.

"Yea. That's me." I spoke.

"Oh, wow. You're kind of a legend around here. The only living Witch Revenant. It's my honor to meet you!" He paused. "I'd shake your hand, but I'd probably break it..."

"It's alright."

"Mica Sorra." The Hunter smiled as we ran, holding her hand out to me. "Pleasure's all mine." I shook her hand as best I could, giving her a courteous smile.

"Save the intros until later, please. We got some major shit goin' on." Jake asked rather abruptly, but we obeyed.

The corkscrew screwed on for a few more minutes until we reached the common area. A few feet away, Jake, Mica and Arnold stopped. Zoey and I did the same.

"Team One to Common Area. We're coming in, do not shoot."

"Roger Team One. Guns hanging." Another voice came. Jake nodded to use and we walked casually into the holdout. We were greeted almost instantly by Bill and another older man I didn't know. Several other people all crouched behind a barricade, holding weapons out to the door. This was, as was evident by the piles and piles of infected corpse, the perfect choke hold. Nothing has made it through yet. The moment we breached the barricade, Bill and the other man saluted.

"What's our situation?" Jake asked. Bill smirked.

"Can't you tell? The bastards keep coming, and we keep dropping them! Glad you two are alright." He addressed Zoey and I, which we both replied to with a smile and a nod.

"How's the ammunition holding?" Jake asked, taking a few extra clips for the M-16.

"We're at thirty percent on the Ammo, but Coach and Trinsha went out a few minutes ago to search for more. They just reported in before you five arrived." Zoey slinked off to the weapons rack and grabbed one of the shotguns which was resting there. Loading it, she took a position next to one of the hold out guards.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked, trying to figure out if we had some master plan in the long run.

"Glad you asked, Emma!" Jake replied, adjusting his lab coat. "I have a two fold plan of how to get through this. The first facet of this plan is to survive with no casualties. The second facet is to kill every single goddamn zombie that comes down that path."

"So... that's it. Shoot and live?"

"Yeaprettymuch." He answered, stringing his words together.

"We don't have any plan on stopping them from where they began?" Jake scoffed some.

"I know damn well where they came from. The front-damn-door. Broke right in like the little gate-crashing bastards they are. The controls for the main gate are shot. Someone on the inside fried them."

"Who? Do we know?" I continued. Jake just shrugged, as lost as I was.

"No clue. As far as we know, it could have been anyone. A tired gate guard who fell asleep on the button... an inattentive security chief letting in an Infected person... or even me sleep walking again. The world may never know. But how they got in is a moot point. The important thing is to stop them. And if that involves killing every goddamn thing that attacks us, so be it. I've worked my ass off for just about three weeks, literally killing myself to find a cure for this shit. Like HELL I'm running now. Those zombies want us? They'll have to get through Doctor Jake Allistair Ballenfield!"

"We're gonna run outta ammo before that happens." I observed, staring at the dwindling ammo supply. Jake just chuckled.

"Lemme tell you somethin' about life, Emma. We run out of ammo... those bastards are going to wish we hadn't. They're gonna be crying for us to find more damn ammo. We got something on our side which tips the scales in our favor."

"What's that? A grasp of the English language. We going to curse them out?" Francis added his two cents in. Jake rolled his eyes.

"No... idiot. We have Emma. We have Mica. We have Arnold and I, and Trinsha. We've got REVENANTS."

"Oooh wow. We have the same shit they do." Francis added in again, firing at a few more zombies.

"I'm gonna slap him... what's the one thing we Revenants have that the Special Infected don't?"

"Intelligence." I added. Jake smiled, snapping his fingers.

"Correctamundo! We've got smarts on our side! If we can't out brawn them, we'll out brain them. Now come on. Trinsha should be returning soon, and we're going to formulate a better plan then just hold our pants up here." Jake's Blue Tooth headset crackled.

"Team Five to Common Area. We have Rendezvoused with Teams Three, Four, and a few straggling Revenants, and are outside the Common Area. Do not fire." Came Trinsha's voice.

"Excellent! Hold your fire, men, the rest are out there." Everyone's weapon's went into an idle, standby position. Coming down the corkscrew was Trinsha, Coach, Nick, Ellis, Louis, Rochelle and a few other Revenants. From the looks of the back group, two Smokers, a Hunter and a woman with... green saliva leaking from her mouth. Gross. "Trinny! You're back! Find anything?" Jake asked, hugging his sister.

"Nada. No ammo to be found. We did find a few things we could use in case we run out of it, though. Jennifer?" The woman with the sick green goo coming from her mouth dropped a duffel bag she was carrying. "Couple swords, a few axes, and a little gift from your sister with love... a Chainsaw." Handing the weapon to her brother, he grinned.

"Trinsha Marie Ballenfield, I love you so much right now." He responded, taking the chainsaw from her.

"Thought you'd like that. OH! Before I forget... Emma... you haven't met our three newest Revenants. The two smokers are Kyle and Ken Schloder..." The two Smoker Revenants waved at me. "The Hunter is Katrina Perry. Unrelated to the singer of suspiciously similar name." The Hunter girl bowed a little, blushing "And finally, but certainly not least, Jennifer Crowley. She's a Spitter Revenant."

"A hoobiewhat?" I asked, ever so slightly confused.

"The Spitter was a recently discovered Special Infected found in the southeastern part of the US. They basically spit a highly-corrosive... acid... goo thing. The acid itself seems to be based of human stomach acid, but... eighty times more acidic. It seems to dissipate rather quickly once it leaves the body." Jake explained, giving Jennifer a little nod and a smile. She seemed shy and more then a little ashamed of the facts he was rambling.

"Gross..." I made a side-long comment about the method of attack.

"Yes. Highly disgusting, but highly useful, as well." Jake continued. "Much like human stomach acid, the Spitter can make more of this corrosive goo. Making them..."

"A damn-near limitless line of defense!" I finished for him. "I take back the gross comment, Jennifer." She only smiled a little, and misdirected her eyes. "Can she..."

"Nope. Side-effect. The acid seems to have completely eaten away her Larynx. She can't make a sound, even as much as a whine."

"Larynx?" I responded. Jake rolled his eyes.

"Voice Box. Christ, I hate being the only smart person in the room." The ground began to rumble at this, the tell-tale cry of a tank coming from upstairs. "Ah, crap! Spread out! Fan out!" Jake barked, the hold guards standing and moving away from the door. Jennifer turned to the door and focused. From her throat came a glob of said corrosive goo, the glob shattering and spilling on the ground, the carpet sizzling.

Seconds later came said Tank, but this one had one noticeable and very irritating difference.

"What the FUCK!?" Louis shouted, firing at the creature, the bullets bouncing off. "Is that thing wearing an-"

"APC!" Jake finished. "Shoot for the head! Shoot for the head!" Sure enough, the Tank was wearing an APC on it's body and legs, the impromptu armor causing all torso shots to be moot. "Emma! See if you can't crack that sardine can open! We'll keep it distracted!" Jake, Louis, Zoey and Francis started leading the creature around the center elevator, trying to hold it's attention. I slapped Arnold.

"Throw me!" I called to him.

"What?"

"I can't jump on that thing's armor, you'll have to throw me!" Arnold gave a little nod and grabbed me, his massive hands wrapping around my thin waist like fingers around a toothpick. He waited until the Tank had it's back turned and, with little effort gave me, what was to him a light toss but, was to me a lurching heave towards the beast.

I landed with catlike grace on the Tank's back, my claws dug under it's thick APC armor for grip. With a grunt, I started pulling at the warped metal, slowly pulling the layers of armor from it's body. Once I started making headway, it took notice, doing everything in it's power to shake, break and rake me from it's back. Meanwhile, I did everything in MY power to stay in the saddle.

"Emma!" Called Ellis from a distance. "Jockey him!" He continued.

"Say WHAT?!" I shouted back, not entirely sure of what he meant.

"Ride the bugger like a bike!" I looked at the Tank. Sure, the APC armor might have made him a little more top-heavy then most others, and sure, if I threw my weight around a bit, it might be enough to guide him in the right direction, but how was I going to stop him from creaming me against a wall? "Cover his eyes!" Ellis answered the question for me. Sighing to myself and wondering how bad an idea this was, I jumped onto it's neck, wrapped my legs around it's neck and interlinked my fingers over it's eyes. Howling, the Tank started trying to throw me from it, running and screaming like a demon.

"You like that huh? Let's take this thing for a test drive..." I shifted my bodywieght left, causing the Tank to stumble left. Adjusting it again by leaning back, my ride started stumbling backwards. Looking towards the center of the dome, Jake punched in a few numbers on the center elevator, the door sliding open. He didn't have to say anything, I knew what he was thinking. Adjusting my body weight again, I started 'driving' the Tank towards the elevator shaft. Surly the fall would kill it.

Right?

Any evidence to the contrary didn't come into my mind until I had already driven it off, and jumping down to safety. I listened as it hollered all the way down, until the scream ended in a dull, loud thud.

"Nice moves, Emma." Jake smiled, giving me a high-five.

"So, where does that elevator shaft lead, anyway?" I muttered to Jake.

"Oh, that's a straight two hundred foot drop to the..." He covered his face with his palm. "Reactor Core..." He pressed more buttons on the panel, the door shutting. "Shit... shit..." He muttered, looking around.

"What's wrong?"

"That Tank is going to be very, VERY angry. And when it gets very angry, it's going to start throwing things. And when it starts throwing things..." An alarm echoed from every corner of the Quarantine Zone.

"What does that alarm mean?" Francis questioned. Jake only groaned.

"Reactor Core Breach... We've got to get out of here..."

"Wait... what?" Louis piped. "You mean... just get the hell out of the Quarantine Zone?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I mean." Jake answered, holstering the pistol. "Before we leave, we'll need a few things. Emma?" He addressed me. "Be a dear and get my laptop from my lab. We'll need it for what we're about to do." I nodded to his request and started ascending the corkscrew. "EMMA!" He called before I vanished out of site. Turning, he tossed his headset at me. "Call me if you need me." I gave a small salute and continued.

The path to Doctor Ballenfield's lab was relatively lightly defended. If mindless zombies can actually 'defend' something. I managed to get in without so much as anything spotting me. His laptop was, however, nowhere to be found. I went to his desk and literally ransacked it, looking for the laptop. Peeking out from under a pile of papers was the corner of a small notebook computer. There you are. Turning on a heel I, motioned to leave.

"Hello, pretty." A hissing voice came from the door frame. Standing in the hallway was the same hooded Revenant from after the plane crash. He stood barring my exit.

"What do you want?" I growled, really having no time for anything.

"Oh, nothing from you." He cackled some. "But, if you would be a dear and give the good Doctor a message for me..." He tossed me a small alarm clock, which I caught in a hand. "Tell him... time's almost up." I looked at the clock. All the hour tick marks had been painted over, with the exception of the nine, ten, eleven and twelve ticks. The minute and second hand have been ripped off, leaving only the hour hand, hovering over the nine.

"What-" I began, looking up. But as my vision leveled, he was gone. Shaking the encounter from my mind, I made a bee-line for the common area.

"Emma!" Jake announced as I arrived. "You're back! Did you find my lappy toppy?" Without a word, I handed it to him. "Excellent. Now we can leave."

"How do you suggest that?" Bill questioned, lighting another cigarette.

"The car garage on the ground floor. We make a break for it like the devil himself is after us." Jake walked to a far wall to a small panel which was blinking. Pushing a button, he put his mouth to a speaker. "Attention Quarantine Zone Theta residents. The reactor core has been breached. Estimated time until detonation in eight minutes. I suggest you make your way to the ground floor, to the car garage. Maps to Quarantine Zones Unicorn, Hotel and India can be found there. You shall be safe if you do not stop. That is all. Thank you."

"It's gonna take us forever to evacuate with all those people leaving." I chirped.

"Neh. They're just bait." Jake mused.

"Bait?"

"Yea. For the Infected. While the zombies are busy eating them, we'll escape."

"What?! That's murder!"

"It's only murder if nothing comes out of it. Think about it, Emma. If we die, so does all hope for humanity. If they die... I know it sounds cruel, but if they die, no one will bat an eyelash."

"I hate to say it, Emma..." Zoey muttered. "But there is a macabre truth to that..."

"That still doesn't change anything! It's murder." Jake rolled his eyes at me.

"It's done. Just be a dear and follow us." I sighed, and agreed.

"How do we get out?" Francis asked.

"Emergency Elevator." Jake answered, drawing the door open to an elevator.

"Aren't those for emergencies?" Louis asked. Jake rubbed his temples.

"The Quarantine Zone is about to explode with the force of the Hiroshima bomb. Does there really need to be a better emergency?" Jake asked rhetorically. Louis went quiet. Stepping into the emergency elevator, we piled in like sardines, Zoey, Bill, Louis, Francis, myself, Trinsha, Jake, Nick, Rochelle, Coach, Ellis, both Schloder brothers, Arnold (Who took up more then his fair share), Mica, and Jennifer. Reaching to the elevator controls, Jake made the elevator go up.

The door opened a minute later, to a massive fight for the cars which were berthed in the garage. Jake motioned us to quietly follow him, towards what appeared to be a fuel tanker.

"We keep this thing here for large escapes like this. It's plenty big enough to fit us all, and has enough gas to get us where we need to go." He opened the back of the truck, Arnold and the other Revenants getting in, with the immune. Shutting the back, Jake tossed me the keys. "Be a dear and drive." He muttered, getting into the passenger seat. I sat in the driver's seat and drove away, the truck having an amazing pickup.

We were not five minutes out of the Quarantine Zone when the ground shook with a violence I've never seen. Peering in the rear view, I watched the mushroom cloud grow in the distance. Quarantine Zone Theta had, indeed, exploded.

"Where are we going?" I asked Jake, who had both feet against the glove box's door.

"We head south. Towards Quarantine Zone Omega."

"Omega? Where's Quarantine Zone Omega?"

"Emma. Quarantine Zone Omega is nothing more then quite possibly the happiest place in the United States of Zombies. Be a dear, and drive south." Shrugging, I complied, following the freeway south.

Ending Author's Note: Here be chapter thirteen. Hope you all enjoyed it. We're wrapping up. Next chapter will be the plan that Jake has in mind. Stay tuned.


	14. Quarantine Zone Omega

Thirteen: "Quarantine Zone Omega"

I could feel my eyes beginning to get heavy, the fatigue of the open road already setting in. Who knows how long I've been at the wheel of this modified ride, but it felt like forever. The hum of the engine was like a mother's lullaby to me, telling me to sleep.

"You look tired. Want to switch?" Jake's voice breaking the engine's hold on me for a few seconds. "You could catch a nap." He continued. Slowing the car to the side of the road, I nodded.

"Sleep sounds good." Unlatching the seatbelt, I went for the door.

"No no. Too dangerous. Just flip." Jake spoke.

"What like... over you?" He nodded. "That's weird..."

"What would you prefer? Slight discomfort crawling over me... or extreme pain at the waiting horde outside?"

"There's no-" I replied, reading a sign which read 'Birmingham, twenty miles'.

"Not yet. But there could be anytime soon. Just... stop being a wimp and crawl over. I won't bite." Rolling my eyes, I started to crawl over Jake, my foot hanging up momentarily on the steering wheel. I felt something poke me in one of my butt cheeks.

"That better be a pen." I growled.

"No, that is actually a vial. Don't worry. I don't find you THAT attractive. There we are!" Finally getting my foot free, we had successfully flipped spots, me in the passenger's seat, and Jake at the wheel. Jake began to accelerate as we continued on our way. "If you're gonna snooze, Emma. Be a dear, and do it in the back. It might be a bit more comfortable for you... and you won't make me tired with your snoring."

"I don't snore."

"Oh, yes you do."

"Do not." I started to climb over the chair into the exposed crew compartment which was, at one point, a fuel tanker. Several beds were welded into the metal framework, a mattress on each. Each of the people in the back took a bed, Arnold sleeping soundly on the ground. Walking slowly as not to disturb the others, I found the one Zoey was sleeping on. I gave her a little poke with a knuckle. "Hey..." I whispered softly. In the dim light, I could see her eyes open.

"Hey you. Jake let you stop driving finally?" I gave her a nod. "Tired?" Another nod. "Come on." Moving the covers aside and scooting closer to the metal frame work, she let me in. The mattress was rather comfortable, despite the metal base. The warm plush covers kept both our body heats in and was, more importantly, a very powerful sleep aid. "Night." She muttered, one hand wrapped protectively around my waist.

I fell asleep rather quickly with Zoey's arm on me. Just before dozing off, I could hear Zoey's sleep-induced mumbling.

-At that time-

From the crew compartment behind me a figure dressed in a similar lab coat to mine clambered over the chair, sitting in the passenger's seat.

"Heya Trinny." I smiled at my sister's appearance. "Can't sleep?"

"No. But the thought of someone who hasn't slept in months behind the wheel of a twenty ton death machine was pretty unsettling. I'm just worried about you."

"Nonsense. I feel awake! I feel fantastic." I told her, trying to get her to stop worrying.

"You're not fooling me, Jake. No one, but no one can power through that much research on no sleep."

"But I'm Superman." I responded snidely.

"Dammit, Jake! Even Superman sleeps!"

"I'll sleep when my work is done! You know that, Trin. I'll sleep when I'll sleep. You just climb on back there and have a snooze. We'll get to Quarantine Zone Omega in a few hours. I'll wake everyone up then."

"I'm worried about you, Jake. If you don't want to do this, you can bow out. I won't think any less of you."

"It's not that, Trinny. It's not that I don't WANT to. But I have to. You know that. You both do." Trinsha frowned, but nodded. Deep down, though she was not happy with my response, she knew I was right. Nodding defeated, she hoisted herself over the seat and went back to sleep in her cot.

-Hours Later-

I felt the transport lurch to a stop. Unlike the last four stops, where the engine was kept running as the vehicle was fueled, the engine was stopped, an unsettling quiet falling over the car.

"Alright everyone! Up and at 'em! We're here!" Jake's voice resonated around the metal can we were packed in. Slowly, everyone began to wake. I resumed my position in the passenger's seat, expecting to see a vehicle bay similar to the one in Quarantine Zone Theta. Instead, I was greeted by a large sign with a smiling mouse, his open hand gesturing us in. The words next to the mouse made me chuckle.

"Disney World?" I asked Jake.

"Yep!" He smiled, rolling a window down, an armed guard approaching the cabin. "You'll not find more miles of fencing outside Fort Knox then at Disney. So they thought 'Why not!' throw a gate here, and a few armed guards there... and BOOM! Nothing in, nothing out." He smiled, greeting the guard. "Morning! Name's Jake Ballenfield, I've arrived from Quarantine Zone Theta." The guard looked in the cabin, trying to see our faces.

"Cargo?" The guard spoke in a military tone.

"Eight Immune, Eight Revenants." Jake responded. The guard looked back. "Want me to open her up?"

"Please." Jake opened the back of the cabin with a flick of a switch, light pouring in from the rear of the old fuel canister. Several guards looked in. One whacked the side of the container with a tonfa.

"Sound off." He spoke softly. There came a mumble of 'good morning' and 'just five more minutes momma' from the people inside. The guard nodded. "Confirmed, sir. No Infected. Let them in." The first guard who greeted us spoke into a shoulder microphone.

"Open the gate." The gate grumbled to life, sliding open. "Drive on through. If you would, park in the Diamond lot." Jake gave a little salute, and began to drive through the gate. Following the road north, we came to a large parking area, the sign reading 'DIAMOND PARKING'. Jake smiled and continue to drive.

"We make it?" Came Nick's voice.

"The hell are we?" Ellis piped in.

"Disney World. AKA, Quarantine Zone Omega."

"Ah, HELL, man! DISNEY WORLD!" Ellis cheered. Nick rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Ah, hell. It's gonna be Whispering Oaks all over again..."

"But no zombies!" Ellis muttered to Nick. "Hey, is Space Mountain still open?"

"All the rides, while still operational, have been shut down."

"Ah, what for?" Jake put the vehicle into one of the spots and turned the engine off.

"The sounds drive the horde bonkers. It's to keep down swarms."

"We can't ride Space Mountain no more?" Ellis asked. Jake sighed, rubbing his temples through his glasses.

"I'll see what I can do." He responded.

"WOO!" Getting out, Jake directed us all to follow him.

"Now, as I just told Ellis, the rides here, as well as most of the mass transit systems have been taken off line to help keep down the noise levels. However, the tram to the main park from the parking lot still remains. We'll head there from here. Stand up and wake up some. We'll move when everyone's out of the truck." He looked over to where Francis slept. "And would somebody wake up Francis!" He grumbled a line from an old movie. Jennifer slugged the hardened biker in the shoulder.

"Mph..." He muttered, turning over.

"You're the second vehicle we've had from Quarantine Zone Theta today." A voice came from the cabin. "A sports car rolled in about three hours before you. Full'a a couple Revenants. They've made themselves at home in the castle. One of them specifically asked for you, Doctor."

"Must be my Hunter friend from Theta... Alright, everyone! You're safe here. Just make yourselves at home, and try to keep the noise levels to a minimum. Unlike QZT, this is a very open Quarantine Zone. Noise travels."

"Safe? You said we were safe in the LAST Quarantine Zone!" Rochelle piped up from the back, her voice bouncing around, giving me a very bad headache. "Now look at it! How many people died back there? Two? Three thousand? They all thought they were safe! I don't know about you all, but I don't feel safe at all!" She continued.

"Allow me." Zoey muttered. Reaching to her right, she gave the woman a firm slap on the cheek, causing her rant to halt dead. Eyes open wide, Rochelle stared at Zoey in disbelief. "You deserved it. Jake wouldn't do anything to intentionally put any of us at risk. It was an unforseen circumstance that Quarantine Zone Theta was overrun. If something could have been done to stop it, something would have. Have faith in Jake." Shaking her head, Rochelle nodded.

"Yea... you're right. I'm sorry... but we've been all over the southern US... and nothing's been a shade safe so far..." She held her cheek where Zoey's hand connected. "CEDA's..."

"Fuck CEDA." Jake responded. "Bastards aren't trying to STOP the infection, they're trying to contain it. You saw it, didn't you? The jars of Boomer puke? They're weaponizing the Infection to use it to our advantage. This shit wouldn't happen if the CDC was still around. You mark my words... ALL of you. CEDA would rather kill us all then help us." Jake motioned for someone to hand him a map, which they did. "Alright, according to this, the living areas are... Cinderella's Castle... The Haunted Mansion, and several shops. Some of the underground tunnels have been modified to contain living space. So, make yourselves at home." He gave a little bow and ducked out of the trailer.

We filed out of the truck and were escorted to a waiting tram, which looked more like several golf carts strung together. Sitting down, we were offered a little rest. Travelling north along a road, we eventually came to the park proper. As we were dumped at the entrance, I took survey of the surrounding area. Several arrows had been painted onto the asphalt to direct people towards certain areas. The green line was labeled 'Food', the red line was labeled 'Living Area', and the blue line was 'Shopping Area'.

"I hate arrows." Francis muttered.

"I was waiting for it." I responded, smiling to Zoey. "Not a day goes by that I don't want my list of Francis' pet peeves to grow." She gave a little chuckle at my snide comment.

"And sarcasm." He followed up, probably boring holes in the back of my head.

"Hang on, Emma..." Zoey told me, walking to Rochelle. I didn't hear their conversation, as I was interrupted by a tug on my sleeve. Turning, I saw Jennifer's green goo drooling visage.

"Hey." I smiled to her. She gave a shy wave and smiled. "What's up?" Looking around, she produced a pen and a notepad from her pocket. "Oh, I see. You talk through witting." She nodded, smiling again. "Clever girl..." Finishing writing on the pad, she handed it to me. It must have been very important for her to waste paper on it. Taking it from her, I read the page that was shown. It read 'You're the prettiest Witch I've ever seen.' her 'i's were dotted with little hearts. "Well, thank you. You're a good looking girl yourself. Even if you can't talk."

"And the fire spit." Nick chimed in.

"Who asked you?" I pushed him away. I handed the notepad back to Jennifer, who immediately began scribbling on it again. After finishing, she handed it back to me. I read again. 'When you get a few moments, I really have to speak to you about something I think is important.' I handed her the pad back, and dropped my voice.

"Sure. Where do you want to meet and when?" She continued to scribble on the pad. She took her time, writing something long. After finishing, she gave it back, and I read. 'I used to work here. There's a service tunnel access on the ground floor of the Castle. Take that, and I'll meet you in the women's restroom there. It should be relatively private. Meet me there in four hours.' I gave it back and nodded.

"Four hours it is. I'll see you then." She nodded and pocketed the notepad and pen. Giving me a hug, she went on her way.

"What was that about?" Zoey asked with a little chuckle in her voice. I gave Zoey a dismissing grin.

"She just wanted to talk with me. That's all."

-At About That Time-

I found myself wandering the streets of the little town they had set up aimlessly, just looking about. I was having a hard time believing how... clean the place was. Not a drop of blood to be seen. It was almost like they had this place quarantined off BEFORE the Infection...

"Trinsha?" A male voice came from behind me. I turned slowly, watching the husky figures of Nick and Francis approach me.

"Gentlemen. How can I be of service to you?" I responded, folding my hands behind my back. Francis was the only one who spoke.

"You feel like getting something to eat? We never got around to it before the Infected attacked." I smiled a little at Francis' rather overt pass in the presence of others.

"I would love to have breakfast. Will Nick be joining us?"

"Nah... Probabaly not. I should... I dunno... keep Ellis off Splash Mountain... or something." He left after that, hiking the shotgun onto his shoulder. "Hey! Is there a... shooting range around here?"

"In the tunnels. As one of the residents." Snapping his fingers, he acknowledged, walking towards the tunnels.

-Four Hours Later-

After waking from my nap, I found the restroom Jennifer directed me to with little effort. It was in a darkened part of the tunnels, probably a part no one's visited in a good long time. I took a seat on one of the sink counters and waited for Jennifer to arrive.

I waited for thirty one minutes.

Then thirty two.

Soon I had been sitting on that counter for forty minutes and she didn't show up. A pang on concern running up my spine, I jumped from the counter and exited the restroom, where I came face-to-face with the good doctor.

"Emma! Fancy seeing you down here. What brings you to the dark areas?"

"I was going to meet Jennifer here an hour ago... but she didn't show up?"

"Here? What on Earth would she be meeting you HERE for?"

"I don't know... she said it was important. You haven't seen her, have you?"

"Last I saw her she was hanging around the food court. But that was... two... three hours ago? You might want to look around the food court and such."

"Thanks, Doctor." He gave me a little wave as I went to the food court.

-Food Court-

This is the one time that I wish I HADN'T found her. Oh, I found her alright. I found the poor girl's head neck deep in a Deep Fat Fryer. The fryer had been turned to five hundred and fifty degrees. She was dead.

The smell was the worst part of it, I think. It smelled like a sick mix of cooked flesh and fried chicken. Judging by how hot the oil was, and how relatively undercooked for lack of a better word her face was... this was recent. Covering my mouth, I fought my gag reflex.

"Emma did you-" Jake's voice came. "Oh, Jesus... I guess you found her... Christ..." Taking her by the collar of her white blouse, he took her head out of the fryer. Pinned to the frill of her skirt was a note. Jake took it. Across the front was a big 'EFH'. "EFH... Earth For Humans... shit..."

"EFH?" I asked, still disgusted about the smell.

"It's the Earth For Humans Movement. Basically, they're a group of Immune who hate Revenants. There's a rather large cell of them here in QZO."

"AND YOU JUST DROVE US INTO THEM!?" I bellowed.

"It's not like anyone had a better damn idea. The EFH is everywhere. I went to the lesser of the multiple evils." Jake sighed. "This is a step up for them. They've tortured and brutalized, but never killed before..." He checked Jennifer's face. "Shit... she was so young... she never stood a chance..." He ran an hand down her chest, into a pocket. Pulling out the same notepad, he read the last words she wrote.

"What does it say?" I asked. Jake sighed, turned the paper to me. Scrawled in, what I assumed to be her own blood, was the word 'WHY' in big red letters. The sight of the letters sent an unknown chill down my back.

"This can only mean one thing." I looked at him as he paused. "It can only mean that... poor Jennifer... was murdered by someone she knew. Probably intimately." He paused for a moment, looking over the notepad. "Tell me. Where were you before coming here?"

"Doctor Ballenfield! You can't possibly think I-"

"Just covering the obvious suspects." I sighed. As much as I didn't want to, I had to admit he was right. I was the last person to see her alive.

"I was with Zoey. We had a nap." He nodded. "What about you, Doctor?"

"Me?"

"Why, yes. You do happen to know a bit about the Revenants here."

"My location at the time seems moot to me." He muttered. "But for the purpose of exonerating myself, I was with my sister. We spent a few hours looking over some data. You can ask her if you like." I nodded.

"So, that still leaves a good number of people."

"Well... we can't just go about asking every damn person here where they were. That'd take weeks."

"No... we can't." I responded, thinking.

"Well... no use killing ourselves over it. I'll put the guards on alert, and have the body moved to the morgue. In the meantime, I'm having a meeting between everyone who came here with me. Be a dear and be there. It's in an hour."

"Yes, Doctor..."

Ending Author's Note: Murder in Disney World! DUN DUN DUUUUNNNNNAH! How will this pan out? Who knows. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter as things begin to spice up. Laters.


	15. The Plan

Fourteen: "The Plan"

The hour Doctor Ballenfield gave me until the meeting flew by as I tried to mill over the recent events in my head. Jennifer's dead, and the only clues we have are the cryptic calling card left by the EFH, and Jennifer's last word written in blood on a notepad. No one face to put to a name.

Arriving at the Castle grounds, Jake had set up a makeshift briefing room, much like the one he had in Quarantine Zone Theta. His computer's hard drive was jury-rigged to his laptop, and a small projector was atop the CPU. He didn't acknowledge my presence as I entered, only continued to mutter to himself as he typed on the computer. I took a seat at his far from Jake as I could, staring at my folded hands. Zoey was right behind me, sitting not two minutes after I arrived. She, too, sat in silence. Jake had announced young Jennifer's death to the whole Quarantine Zone earlier, informing all other Revenants to remain on guard.

"What happened to-" Zoey began, leaning over to me.

"Jennifer?" She nodded. "You don't want to know."

"Tell me. I've probably seen worse."

"Suffice to say, she now knows how fried chicken feels."

"Oh god..." I nodded at her reaction.

"Emma! Zoey! Good, you guys are here. Just lemme finish a few things here... and we can begin. Once everyone gets here." He went back to typing on his computer, muttering to himself.

The others arrived with a few moments to spare, just as the good doctor was finishing whatever it was he was typing. Looking up at us, he took a mental head count.

"Good. We're all here. Now, I know most of you are probably wondering why I've called this meeting. Here is what we know. Approximately two months ago, I received word from Quarantine Zone Alpha that the Infected we had kept in storage; died. At first, they were uncertain as to WHY. Shortly before Quarantine Zone Theta was overrun and destroyed, I figured out why." He punched a few keys on the keyboard, bringing up an image on a larger monitor behind him. The image resembled a Richter scale. He stood tall. "This is the energy signature of an Electro-Magnetic Pulse, or EM Pulse. This EM Pulse was unintentionally set off in the holding cells, causing a rather interesting side-effect in the Infected stored therein." He punched another few keys, which brought up several images of dead Infected in small holding tanks. "It killed them. After first dissection, the reason why was unclear. Until they MRI'd the bodies. After a corpse is made a corpse, there is usually some physical imprint on the body as to WHY. Fingerprints, if you would. The same goes for any internal damage. After extensive study of the deceased Infected, a conclusion was drawn.

"The EM Pulse had severed the spinal connections between the brain and the rest of the body. The Pulse had overloaded the subject's neural system to the point it simply shut down. In effect, killing them. After studying the pulse itself, we believe we can recreate the pulse, down to it's exact wattage."

"So... let's say we don't... all understand exactly what it is you're saying, doctor." Francis chimed in. "Can you repeat that in Stupid Person Terms?" Fingers on his nose bridge, Jake thought.

"Alright... lemme put it this way. The pulse overloaded the Infected's nerves, causing them to go brain dead. Once they're brain dead, the rest of the body shortly follows. Better?" Francis nodded. "Good. Because it doesn't get easier then that. Now, we can recreate the pulse, I believe, but there's one disadvantage. The pulse itself is as indiscriminate as Trinny with an assault rifle."

"HEY!"

"So, that means if we go that route, we'd have to get all non-infected and Immunes into some safe area. Now, the only reason the pulse was not felt outside the cells is because we had lined those cells with lead, the only material the Infected CAN'T bash their way through. Lead, as it seems, renders the pulse inert, stopping it dead in it's tracks. Like Kryptonite to Superman."

"How does that help us?" I asked.

"We can line an APC's crew cabin with lead, enough where the pulse will not affect anyone inside. As for everyone else... Qurantine Zone Omicron was built from an old vault created in the late seventies in preparation for some nuclear war that never happened. It's both far enough underground and lined with enough lead where the pulse should be rendered moot. Plus! Quarantine Zone Omicron is currently at one point four percent capacity. Meaning it can still hold around two hundred thousand people. Far more then in all the remaining Quarantine Zones combined. I will send a mass transmission to the remaining Quarantine Zones to relocate all persons to QZ Omicron" He punched a few more keys, an aerial shot of some power relay station appearing on the larger monitor.

"This is the PL-55 Power Transfer Station outside of Pierre, South Dakota. We have determined this to be the prime location to set off the EM Pulse." A hand went up. "Yes, I know the next question. 'If it's on the east coast, how is it going to reach the Infected on the west coast.' I've thought of that already. This PTS is connected to five other similar facilities. One in Lansing, one in Santa Fe, one in Seattle, one in Austin, and one in Fort Lauderdale. By connecting these six stations together, I can cause all six buildings to give off the same pulse at... more or less, the same time, coating the entire country in deadly EM Emissions.

"The mortality rate of the pulse is one hundred percent. This..." Punching more keys, a map of the United States appeared on the monitor. "Is a prediction map of the Pulse's influence." Six yellow squares representing, what I believed to be the Transfer Stations, appeared in Washington State, Michigan, Florida, Texas, South Dakota and New Mexico. As he hit enter, blue rings spread out from these squares, turning the red United States green. Several small pockets around the map remained red.

"The estimated efficiency of the pulse is ninety seven percent, coating an equal amount of the country. The remaining pockets of Infected will be easy pray for CEDA and the remains of the Marine Corps." He paused momentarily. "Any questions?" My hand went up. "Yes, Emma?"

"How long until you can prepare it?"

"As far as preparing the pulse, I've done that already. I have the exact data for the pulse in my laptop. It would take me, once we're on site, approximately ten minutes to set all six stations to the same frequency, and about fifteen seconds for the pulse to cycle. After it cycles, everything would be said and done in... twelve and a half nanoseconds." He patted his computer. "To the unasked question of how long we have... since most of the major airports have been knocked out or taken off line from the Infection, it would take upwards of a week to move all those people to Quarantine Zone Omicron."

"So, we've basically got a week to prepare, then right?" Bill asked.

"Prepare. Or pray. Whichever tickles your fancy." Shutting the lid to his laptop, he gave a grim frown. "Dismissed." Everyone got out of their chairs.

Ending Author's Note: Short chapter, I know. But as you're reading this, I'm already hard at work on the next chapter. I promise I won't skimp on any details from here on our (With the exception of any alone time Zoey and Emma get. Again, can't post that stuff.) But from here on out, it's gonna be three things. Pure Fluff, pure Crazy, and pure ACTION! Peace.


	16. Muder in Wonderland

Author's Note: On a completely unrelated but totally hilarious side-note: The last chapter of Cry Witch was exactly 1337 words long. Couldn't have planned that if I tried.

Fifteen: "Murder in Wonderland"

The stars are beautiful tonight. Thousands of twinkling little balls of light. I stare up at them, waiting for them to dance for me... or do a trick. Come on, stars. Dance for Emma. Almost on command, something twinkles in the infinite blackness. The star slowly begins to move against the sky, a small trail of light behind it. A shooting star.

"Ooooh..." A voice speaks beside me. "Shooting star! Pretty..." It's Zoey. She must have crept up on me when I was staring off into space. Quite literally, might I add. I muttered an agreement to her, pondering, among other things, the meaning of life. There came an odd silence between us, the only noise was the dull, sublime sound of my own heartbeat. Looking over to Zoey, I smiled. As if instinct told her I was looking, she faced me. "What is it?"

"You." I responded, looking at her face in the pale spotlight the moon was so gracious to shine on us. In such a low light, it was hard to see her blush.

"Do you ever tire of looking at me?" She idly responded, more rhetorically, I think.

"Quite the opposite. I tire of not looking at you." Ooooh, yea. Great one, Emma. Talk about cheesier then swiss.... Cheesy or not, she chuckled all the same, moving a bit closer to me and rolling on her side.

"You know something, Emma..." She mumbled under her breath so only her and I could hear. "There's something I've always wanted to do."

"Blink and talk at the same time?" I responded sarcastically.

"Nah, that's Francis." I let go a little laugh at that. It was true, I had to admit. "No... I..." She went flush red, blood rushing to her cheeks. "I've always wanted to... ya know... _do it_ at Disney." I raised an eyebrow. "It's a dirty little fantasy of mine, I know..." Chuckling, I had an image of her and I, surrounded by a mob of visitors, the park security unable to get through to break it up. Shutting my eyes, I quite literally started rolling on the ground laughing. "What?! Don't laugh at my fantasies!"

"No... it's..." I tried to talk through my fit of cackling, but it was easier said then done. "It's not that, Zoey." I finally managed out. "I had this image of you and I... and a crowed..." I lost my words to more joyous laughing. Even though I couldn't finish my sentence, I think she got the same image, as she joined me in 'rofl'ing.

"Oh-ho mah god..." She finally spoke. "That would be HILARIOUS." She wiped a tear from her eye, letting out that tell tale 'just had a good laugh' sigh.

"Talk about newsworthy." My comment triggered her laughing fit again, as I did a newscaster impression. "In other news, a Witch Revenant and a young girl were found doing the horizontal bump at Disney World today, attracting quite the crowd." At this time, she was laughing so hard, she couldn't even talk. All she could do was try to wave me to stop making her laugh. I just grinned as I waited for her to settle down. "And besides, Zoey." I continued when I felt the had settled down enough. "When you think about it, it's not really much of a fantasy."

"What?" She questioned, the look of confusion evident in her eyebrows.

"Fantasies never come true." Zoey groaned, rolling back onto her back.

"I know... I know..." Throwing my weight around, I rolled on top of her.

"I said fantasies never come true, so that's not a fantasy, Zoey. It's about to be a reality." My shadow shaded her face so I couldn't see it, but I think I had a good idea of what it might have looked like. She probably had that pretty little mouth of hers curled into a devious little smile, her eyebrows narrow, her mind worked into a frenzy, thinking about what might follow.

"Ya know..." Zoey muttered. "You're surprisingly light... how much do you weigh?"

"Does it really matter? Really?"

"I wanna see if I can pick you up." Rolling my eyes, I groaned.

"Talk about a killjoy. Look, you wanna fulfill that fantasy, or what? Because if you don't, I'll get off and go to bed." Starting to stand, I worked the ploy a little farther.

"NO! Nononononono! Don't leave!" Putting her hands up to grab my waist, she pulled me back down. "Don't make me lonely! Stay with me!"

"Fine. But no more talk of if you can lift me or not. We either talk, or get to work. And it's all up to you." She pushed her finger into my belly a little, making a 'boop' sound with her mouth. Even in the no light, I could see that sly smirk on her face.

"Clocked in!" Okay, I admit. 'Work' is probably not the best way I could have put it.

"Zoey... you're impossible..." Getting on my chest, I laid on her, giving her a light peck on the cheek. Something in my pocket vibrated. "Mmmmmmfuck." I groaned, reaching into my pocket.

"No... don't answer it." Zoey muttered, pleading with the tone of her voice. It was Jake. I weighed both options. I knew something was going to make me regret ever doing this... but...

Standing, I opened the phone.

"This is Emma."

"I know. Listen up, Emma." Came Jake's voice. "I need you to drop who you're doing and come down here." He worded that funny. "I'm in the park's central control room. Ask one of the armed guards, they'll direct you."

"Can this wait? I'm like... really busy right now." I looked down at Zoey, who was pouting, pulling tufts of grass out of the ground and throwing them at my feet.

"No. It can't, get down here."

"Jake, it's eleven o clock at night. You should really..."

"Emma. Now." I groaned at the sternness of his voice.

"Now? Can you wait like... an hour...?"

"I suggest you get here now." Groaning, I nodded, feeling myself starting to cry.

"Okay..." I muttered through my tears, trying to hide them. "I'll be right over." I closed the phone and tried to stop myself from crying. Putting the phone in my pocket, I stormed towards a guard. "God DAMN you Jake Ballenfield!"

"Ugggghhhhfuck." Zoey sighed as I left.

The guard directed me to the central control room with haste, as he could see the anger in my eyes. Upon entering it, I found Doctor Ballenfield sitting at his laptop, playing a game.

"What the hell do you need this fucking second that couldn't wait another two FUCKING hours!"

"No need to take that tone, Emma. It's all good in the hood."

"No! No, it's not. I'm tired of this! It's like you can read my damn mind! Every time Zoey and I get two seconds to ourselves, you cut in like a damn interrupting cow! Why?!"

"Emma, there's something very important that I've been meaning to tell you, and it's the very reason I interrupt you."

"I'm all ears! Tell me!" I continued to scream.

"Not if you're gonna yell at me. I suggest you lower your voice, or leave. And don't you leave." Clasping my eyes shut and rubbing the bridge of my nose, I growled.

"I'm all ears. Tell me." I spoke planer, in a less enraged tone.

"That's better." He pressed the escape button, pausing the zombie killing carnage. Standing and finally facing me, he spoke his mind. "It's like this, Emma. I don't let you and Zoey have too much alone time for the same reason I've not even cared to learn Zoey's last name. Or ANYONE's last name for that matter. How much have I asked about you?"

"Nothing..."

"And it's not because I don't care. It's because I don't want to know. I ignore everyone's attempts at forming a relationship with me, and trust me, there's been a few. I even chastised Trinsha for her relationship with Francis. Not because of the massive age difference, but because I don't want her to get hurt."

"Hurt?"

"When he dies, Emma. You don't understand, do you?" Shaking my head, I confessed I had no idea what he meant. "Revenants, Emma. We're three links higher on the food chain then Humans are. Humans are weak, Emma. They're weaklings, they really are! And personally, I don't think you should get to close to Zoey, because when it comes down to it, when one person has to die. It's going to be Zoey, and not you."

"How can you say that! I'd lay my life down for her!"

"Oh, don't tell me that. I know that. But there's a problem. I shoot you in the head with a .32 and you don't bat an eyelash. I shoot Zoey in the head with a .32 and she dies."

"We're not that different."

"Don't be a fucking idiot, Emma." He narrowed his eyes in this creepy sense that actually made me quiver. "You're a moron if you think Revenants are just humans that look different. The difference between a Revenant and a Human is night and day. Humans are squishy little things that die from the stupidest of reasons. And if I were you, Emma. I'd get rid of Zoey as fast as you could." I snapped. Reaching a hand back, I whacked Jake across the face, raking my claws across his cheek, jaw and forehead. He recoiled, a trail of blood following the motion of my hand, the red liquid splattering the ground under his face. I heard him sputter and cough for a moment. Reaching down, he picked up his glasses, set them back on his nose and stood, facing me. I could see where my claws had torn some of his flesh from his face, the red claw marks already starting to slowly heal.

"See? Right there." He droned cooly. "That kind of hit would have severed Zoey's head from her shoulders. But me? A Revenant? I'm not even dizzy. That's the reality you have to realize, Emma." He picked up a sponge from the table and wiped the blood from his face. Tilting his head back, he squeezed the sponge over his open mouth, the blood pouring into his throat. His whole body visibly shuddered at the introduction of his own blood into his system."We're a lot different, you and I. A lot different." He sat back down to his game and continued playing. "You can go."

Despite his kind words at the end, I could feel myself starting to tear up. Hanging my head, letting my hair fall over my eyes, cold tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Are you crying? Come on, Emma, I'm sorry I said those things..."

"No... that's..." I spoke through what I assumed to be udder despair. "I know you're right... Every part of me is agreeing with you... and I should! I should tell her we can't... but... I can't. I can't just end our relationship like that... It would just tear me apart. It would destroy Zoey..."

"I know. It's hard. Hey! Chin up for a second." Putting a finger under my chin, he lifted my head so I had to look at him. "When this is over, and life returns to normal for you and I... and everyone. I'll see to it personally that you have the happiest life you can. Okay? Would you like that?" I nodded, feeling very much like a kid being compromised to by her father. Jesus, Jake's half my age and he's twice my maturity.

I grabbed the doctor up in a hug, and squeezed him tight.

"Thanks Jake. I owe you one." He released some sound. "What?"

"Choking me... can't breath..." He coughed out.

"OH!" Releasing him, he gasped for air. Recollecting himself, he sat back to his game, but as a side note, he turned back.

"Oh, and Emma?" Turning again, I faced him. "This isn't Hollywood."

I found myself wandering Disney that night, trying to collect my thoughts, and try to figure out what I was going to do. I couldn't just drop Zoey like a rotten corpse. But... Jake was right. Attraction right now would make... reality hard to grasp. And his parting words... they confused me. What did he mean by 'this isn't Hollywood'?

Shaking the thought from my mind, I continued on my way.

"Emma!" A voice called from my left. Scanning for the voice's origin, I found Trinsha. "Emma... thank Christ, there you are. Emma... There's been another death..." Muttering a swear under my breath, I followed her.

A large crowed was gathered around one of the attractions, Space Mountain more specifically. Part of the ride was damaged during one of the attacks, part of the track exposed from the side. Hanging off the exposed track was the figure of a Revenant. Even from this distance, I could see it was Ken Schloder.

"Shit..." I muttered.

"I don't think I wanna ride Space Mountain no more..." Ellis muttered to my right.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Poor bastard was up there for a smoke... the car ran him over... split him practically in half."

"One could say he's not half the man he used to be." A voice piped up from behind.

"Now is not the time for a joke, Christian." Trinsha chided, not tearing her eyes from the body.

"I'm just sayin'." The younger kid continued, hands in his pocket. I noticed he was wearing some kind of armor.

"Where the hell did you get armor!? I want armor?" I muttered to him, poking his chest protector.

"Oh... it's um... non-ballistic. Paintball, ya know." He answered quickly, still looking up. "Christian Flint's the name, by the way." He gave me his hand. I took it and gave it a light shake.

"Emma Windsor."

"I know you. Doctor Pouncy doesn't stop talkin' bout you. Almost like he's in love, er somethin'." He seemed to eye me under those goggles. "And I don't half blame him." He smiled. "Get it? HALF! Get it? It's a joke!"

"CHRISTIAN! Show some respect." Trinsha growled. "I just wish I knew how it happened."

"Well, if'n I were to guess... there might have been a malfunction in the ride's car control." Christian muttered. "Ya know... I can probably head up and take a look-see."

"You think you can figure it out?" Shrugging with both hands in his pockets he grinned.

"I can certainly take a look."

Trinsha lead us up to the control booth for Space Mountain. The moment we were inside, the cause was apparent.

"Oh, were there's your problem right there. Someone took a damn sword to the control panel. Probably hit the brake control." There was a huge gash in the control panel, sparks arcing everywhere. The gash wasn't deep...

"I don't think that's a sword, Christian. It looks too shallow." I put my pointer finger down the gash, feeling where it ended.

"So you can finger it. So what?" Christian stifled a laugh. "Is it... eh... moist down there?"

"You are far too young to be thinking about that." I responded, pulling my finger out. Looking out to the track, I could see the body. Most of the track was damaged, the support beams which held the metal track in place were either damaged, destroyed, or deteriorating. Stepping a foot onto the track, I began to gain balance.

"Emma! The hell are you doing?!"

"I need to look at the corpse." I responded, shuffling slowly out to the body.

"Don't fall. It's a long way down." Working my way slowly out there, I breathed slowly. Even at this distance, I could see something disturbing. "What I want to know is why he didn't move..."

"Because he was tied up." I responded, safely reaching an undamaged section of track.

"Tied up? With what?" I knelt at his side, the wood planks creaking under me. His tongue was wrapped around his body, arms and legs, literally stopping him from moving anywhere.

"Someone tied him up with his own tongue. Poor bastard never stood a chance."

"What about evidence? Anything to tell us who did it?" Nick's voice came from the crowd.

"No... nothing. Wait..." I stopped myself, reaching into a pocket. Something was sticking out of his front pocket. A lipstick capsule. "Lipstick? Funny... heard of a girl with no lipstick... but lipstick? And no girl?" I muttered, holding the capsule in my hand.

"What's going on up here?" Zoey's voice came from down below.

"It's Ken. He's dead." I responded. I couldn't see her reaction from up here, but I could imagine how it night have been. "I think it might have been the EFH again." I slowly worked my way back to the platform, Zoey charging up to meet me.

"What did you find, Emma?" Zoey asked when we met up top.

"Just this." I replied, giving her the lipstick capsule. She looked at it.

"You sure?"

"Yea, why?"

"Emma... this is MY lipstick." I looked at her, Trinsha casually going back down.

-A Little Time Later-

"Did you speak to Emma?" I asked Jake, who was still playing his little game.

"Yep. I think we see eye to eye."

"There's been another murder." He paused it.

"You're kidding... who?"

"Ken Schloder. Got ran over by one of the ride cars on Space Mountain." Trinny responded, taking her glasses from her nose. Scowling, I swore rather loudly.

"Mother fucker." Was all that came out. "Ken had such promise, too. Any clues on the body?"

"Emma only found a lipstick container which, apparently belongs to Zoey." My eyebrow piqued.

"Zoey's Lipstick? Funny... I knew Zoey wasn't what I'd call 'wired properly'... but killing people? I never pegged her for a Revenant Hater."

"Don't be rediculous. You can't be seriously thinking Zoey killed him, do you?"

"What do you think?" I heard Trinny sigh that tell-tale 'god dammit, Jake I hate it when you're right' sigh I loved so much.

"What do we do?"

"What we've done since we were kids, Trinny."

"Put the Quarantine Zone on Lockdown?"

"Well, I was thinking of branding everyone a witch, throwing them in the moat around the castle to see if they float, but the lockdown idea is nice too." I replied sarcastically, completing my game. "And this game is way too easy."

"Thought you'd say that." I heard rustling and, turning around in the chair, saw Trinny pulling a DVD case from her labcoat pocket. "Stopped by one of the local game stores. Thankfully, when the Infection hit, everyone looted the grocery stores first, and not the local Vidja Land." She handed me to case.

"Trinny, it's bad to bring me new games. You remember last time. I spent two weeks trying to hook a pair of automatic pistols to my boot heels." I smirked, ravaging the plastic case.

"As I recall, you managed to rig it just fine."

"Yea, I just couldn't reload the things without pulling my hamstring." Trinny smiled that smile I fell in love with.

-At the Moment-

I stood somewhere in the park, leaning on one of the corroding iron fences, staring at the dark castle. I would have loved to have seen this place before the Infection. Hell, I probably did, I just don't freakin' remember it. Zoey had gone to Ken's funeral, leaving me alone. I was really starting to question a great number of things I've come accustom to over the last few months. The biggest thing being life in general.

"BONZAI!" A voice shattered my concentration, a mass of something jumping on my back.

"Whointhe-" I grunted as a pair of arms wrapped around my neck. Stumbling backwards, I lost all balance, collapsing to the floor. Whatever was on my back leaped off before impact. I think I blacked out for a spit second. Slowly regaining consciousness, I came face-to-face with a scruffy-looking kid with a fauxhawk staring down at me.

"Hiya." He smiled as I came to. Sitting up slowly, I rubbed the back of my head. Owies... the stabbing knives of pain. "Sorry, did I hurt you?"

"Just a little... in the part of my brain that keeps me from murdering you." The kid seemed to shrug off my promise as an idle joke. But I was rather seriously considering killing him. "But other then that, I'm fine. Was it... Christian?" I asked, remembering the kid with the poor timing with jokes. He smiled and nodded.

"You remembered! Well, I daresay you'd be the first girl to do so!" He held his hand out. "Proper introductions are in order. I would have to say, someone's death is hardly the place for them." I took his hand and shook it, my grip much firmer then before. Looking the kid over, I noticed his 'personal arsenal' on his back. Several machine guns, some rifles, couple pistols... was this kid planning on taking down the Infected by him self? And was that a... baseball bat at his side?

"They let you into the Quarantine Zone packin' that kind of heat?" I asked, pointing out his weapons.

"What? OH! Oh, no, these aren't actually real. They're paintball weapons." I lifted an eyebrow. "You know... paintball? All the fun of shooting your friends without hurting anyone." He looked to the side. "Well, there was this one time my friend Josh and I were out paintballing, and I shot him right in the numby-nupkins. He walked like a penguin for a week." He laughed at the story, but I really didn't find it appropriate. "See!" He unholstered the pistol, pointed to this right and fired, his eyes never leaving mine. I heard the slight 'thuu' of the air forcing the ball from the barrel, and the dull 'thock' of it hitting someone. I heard the distinct yelp of Francis as the ball hit him in the side.

"I hate paintball!" He called, limping off. Christian went quiet after the laughter died.

"Can I ask a personal question, Emma?"

"Sure. As long as it's not too personal."

"What's it like?" He spoke, his eyes probably doing something under those goggles.

"What's... what like?"

"Being... ya know... a Witch?" I inhaled, not entirely sure how to answer that question.

"It's... complicated. In more then one way. I can't get dressed myself, and every time I touch someone, I feel like I'm gonna slit their throat..."

"Kinda reminds me of somethin' I read about before the Infection. Ever heard of Lady Vanity?"

"Lady Vanity? No... can't say I have. Who's that?"

"Well, as you might have guessed, no one knows her real name. News people and the cops call her that, on account she kills pretty girls." He spoke, remembering this Lady Vanity with great fondness. Last I heard, she vanished about the time of the Infection. Doctor J thinks either the Infection claimed her, or killed her."

"What makes you think it's a woman?" I asked, loosely crossing my arms.

"Lots'a things. News said it was a girl, don't know how they knew though. But it doesn't really matter. Am I boring you? Doctor J says I need to not bother people. Especially people who are busy. Looking at his duct-taped wrist to the watch strapped there, the read the time. "Eleven forty three. Time for all good Revenants to go to bed." He smiled, took my hand and gave it a quick kiss. "Including you. Good evening, ma'dam." He sprinted off. I looked down where he kissed my hand. Strange-ass kid.

Morning came with news of another death. This time, Ken's brother Kyle was found dead impaled on the plaster brier patch about halfway down Splash Mountain. After dragging an Electrician's Roost out to get the body down, we had just started searching the body.

"Look at this..." Trinsha spoke, pulling a cigarette butt out of his undershirt, the butt caught between his belt and stomach. Sniffing the end, I noted it had the exact same scent as the ones Bill's always smoking.

"These are Bill's." I muttered.

"You're kidding me!" Francis piqued up. "Grandpa wouldn't kill someone. And I know for sure he's not a Revenant killer!"

"Come down, Testosterone Man. It's not Bill." I spoke, discarding the cigarette butt.

"It's not?" Nick muttered. "The evidence seems pretty clear to me..."

"Bill's over sixty years old, Nick, with a bad knee. You think someone like that could get UP to that plastic pongee trap, let alone IMPALE a one hundred and forty pound man on it? Because I'm having a hard time picturing that. That... and that butt wasn't smoked. Just burnt."

"Emma's right." Trinsha continued, examining the discarded cigarette stem. "Someone's trying to set us up. This is most definitely the work of the EFH. We just have to be extra careful from now on. New rule. No one sleeps alone any more. Any movement by anyone should be documented by their room mate, and suspicious activity should be reported directly to me, or Jake. No one's off the chopping block. Got it. We're all suspects."

"Even you, Doctor?" Nick asked. Trinsha pulled her glasses down in a way the sun reflected just perfectly off them so her eyes were hidden.

"We're ALL suspects." She repeated.

Ending Author's Note: There it is. Next Chapter. Who will end up dead next? Will the string of Revenant Murders continue with Arnold, Mica, or even Jake? Or will things take a serious turn for the worst, and will Revenant Sympathizers come up over easy? Find out next chapter.


	17. Earth For Humans

Sixteen: "Earth For Humans"

The recent murders of the Schloder brothers weighed heavily on me. Even though it was obvious about the method and means of their deaths... the cause and reasons behind it still bothered me.

"Emma." A voice broke me from my thoughts. It was Trinsha. Breaking the cold stare I'd been burning into the wall, I looked up to her and tried to dismiss any worried thoughts with a greeting smile. "I need to talk to you."

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

"It's... about my brother." Lifting an eyebrow, I allowed her to continue. "I know what he said... about not getting too close to Zoey..." Shifting her footing, she put her hands behind her back, almost as if it were hard for her to say. "I know what you're thinking, Emma. You're probably thinking this is all part of some plot, some higher power. The outcome beyond your ability to control. I want you to know that no one knows my brother better then I... and if he's planning something, it's definitely not got you involved. Jake's just worried about you, that's all. You have to understand something, Emma. You're the only Pure-Blooded Revenant we've met. Your condition is unstable. Volitile, even. We'd have to sedate you if something were to happen to Zoey... We got the reports from the plane crash... about how you lost your mind when Zoey was hurt. If she DIES, Emma. You may digress into full Witch status, loosing yourself completely to uncontrollable sadness. It's a scenario Jake and I are worried sick about. Because we both know it's very possible it happens." I nodded, listening to her words, and deep down, I knew what she was going to say before she said it.

"I understand." Trinsha smiled.

"Good. I just want you to know we have you best interests in mind all the time."

"There is one thing that's been bothering me, Trinsha. It's about the recent murders..." The smile faded from her face.

"What, specifically?"

"Remember when I said Bill couldn't have impaled Kyle on the Brier Patch?" She nodded. "Well... after what Jake said... about Humans being weak, it came to me. If humans are so weak, how can they just murder us Revenants without anyone seeing? It doesn't make any sense..."

"You're right. It doesn't. But I think I may have an explanation. Follow me." She turned, made the 'come on' motion with her finger, beckoning me to follow. She lead me to what appeared to be a security room, monitors and chairs lining one wall. Sitting down at one, she typed to the keyboard. "Jake asked me to go over some of the security feeds from the nights of the murders, maybe the killer was captured on camera. Well... we got something..." The monitor flickered, showing Splash Mountain, the hole in the artificial mountain where the boat exited for the drop visible. "Watch that opening." After a few seconds, a figure, one I could tell was Kyle, exited the opening, landing on the Brier Patch below. His trajectory and position upon exiting could only lead to one conclusion.

"He was thrown? From the top?"

"That's what Jake and I think. It would be the only feasible explanation of the blood pattern on the plaster, and the depth of the spike. Keep watching." I continued to stare, and from the darkness came a blurry figure looking over the edge. It saluted and left the same way it entered. "Who the hell is it? Go back..." She rewound the film some, to show the figure. It was lithe, very thin and tall, but definitely a man. "It's male."

"Aye." She answered. "Jake and I think it's... get this, a Revenant."

"What?" She nodded.

"Yea. We have decent reason to believe the leader of the EFH is, in fact, a Revenant."

"That makes no sense."

"Contrare. It makes perfect sense. There aren't enough humans left in this world for them to care about who's who. The only people who give two shits about Revenants are Revenants. Jake has a theory, and it's a crazy one. He thinks this Revenant is trying to kill every other Revenant so he can be the only one with these abilities. Crazy, I know, but it's all we've got."

"What about Ken? Did the cameras pick up anything about his death?" She typed more on the keyboard and brought up the Space Mountain camera, facing where Ken was killed.

"This camera offers no real help, as it may be close, but the edge is right where Ken died. Watch." The camera showed Ken smoking on the track, but half of him was cut off, only his left side visible. He looks over off camera and mouths something, seconds later, he is wrenched off the track. He reappears a full forty five seconds later, his tongue wrapped around his body, tossed onto the track. He screams a muffled cry as the car runs him over twenty seconds later.

"Hell..." I mutter, covering my eyes and blood stains to camera lens. "What was that he said?"

"No idea. But from here, it looked like 'heya' or something like that. There was a sound recorder active, but the data's corrupted. Jake's working on recovering the sound. I'll be sure to update you when and if he does. You haven't seen the strangest thing of all, though."

"What's that?" She smirked and typed more, the screen switching to the kitchen where Jennifer was killed.

"Watch." This camera pivoted to get a view of the kitchen. It turned left and right for a good two minutes before it glitched for a split second, the picture changing to Jennifer's head hanging in the fryer.

"What the fuck?" I found myself musing.

"Infinite Loop."

"A what?" She rewound the footage and pointed to the bottom left corner.

"Watch right here...:" As the camera finished it's left rotation, I small light reflect off the counter, probably from the door outside. "Okay, now keep watching." The camera turned right, then left again, and just in the same spot, the same light bounced off the counter. "It does that five times before..." Fast-Forwarding the camera, the screen glitched again, and Jennifer was dead. "That glitch is the loop ending. It took someone a full two minutes to kill that poor girl. But here's the weird thing. Those fryers, take about half an hour to heat up. And..." Rewinding the film for a good half hour, she played it. "Look at the fryer heat dial." Between about four frames, the dial jumped from off to 550. "Someone cut that part of the film out. The didn't want to show who turned the fryer on." She turned her chair to face me, the piston squeaking as she swiviled.

"Here's the very disturbing thing, Emma. Infinite Loops are not something your run-of-the-mill technician can do. They're very tricky to get the timing right. There's only about six people in the Quarantine Zone who can do them." She looked about. "What I'm about to say stays in this room, between you and I. Got it?" I nodded. "Good. One of those six people... is Jake."

"You think Jake's got a hand in this?"

"Like I said before, no one knows my brother like I do, and I don't think so... but ALSO like I said before, everyone's a suspect. So yes, I think it's plausible on the edge of reality he's got a hand in it. But I don't want to think it true. Just... be careful, alright? I've assigned all Revenants a buddy to watch their back. Yours will be Christian."

"The Jockey Revenant?"

"Uh, he's a Hunter, actually. Just likes pretending he's a Jockey sometimes. Crazy kid." She cleared her throat. "His ability to pin will be a compliment to your own abilities. It'll work out."

"What about you?"

"I've got Jake. And Jake's got me. You protect Christian, and he'll protect you. Just... do be careful around him... his mouth wanders more then his hands... but he's clingy. I think you and he will get along just like..."

"Fire and Ice?" I muttered sarcastically.

"I was going to say Romeo and Juliet, but I think that's a stretch."

"Trinsha?" She looked at me. "Is it possible?"

"Is what possible?"

"Would it be possible to tie Ken up with his own tongue as a human?"

"Emma. Smoker Revenants aren't like you, or Jake. We're much weaker in our bodies, our core strengths coming from our ability to rope and separate. Don't believe me?" She walked right up to me, her nose half an inch from mine. "Shove me."

"No." I responded. "I'm not gonna shove you."

"Come on. It won't hurt, I promise." She continued.

"I'm not gonna shove you."

"Dammit, Emma, I can't prove my point unless you get physical with me!" Lifting my hands, I placed one on each of her shoulders, and pushed. Lightly at first, but after more chiding, I finally gave her a halfway decent push. She stumbled back and caught herself on the console. "The point in that is, Emma, if you could stagger me with that pathetic excuse for a shove, I don't think an average built human would have much problems.

"So, the point is, these are completely plausible to be committed by a vindictive human?" She nodded, readjusting her lab coat.

"Completely." Rubbing my chin, I started contemplating the events. There came a knock at the door. "It's not locked." Opening the thin steel door and walking in came Francis.

"Sorry, Trinny, but we need Emma. There's something she needs to see..."

"Sure thing. Go on, Emma. I've got places to be, myself." I smiled and gave a dismissing nod to Trinsha, and followed Francis.

"Oh... well... that's interesting..." I muttered stepping out into the park near a group of people. Hanging from one of the trees was a scarecrow resemblance to myself, a noose around it's neck. Pinned to it's chest was a sign which had 'You're Next, Witch' scrawled in crappy handwriting. Jake was already scaling to tree to cut it down.

"It's shit like this that pisses me off about those EFH fucks. Kill three of my friends, and threaten a fourth? Shit just got personal." He muttered to himself. After cutting the scarecrow down and jumping to the ground himself, he poised to speak. "Attention Quarantine Zone Omega. As of this moment, it is Open-Fucking-Season on these EFH Assholes. If you see ANYONE even spouting pro-EFH ideals, you have my consent to shoot on sight, and shoot to kill. No prisoners. No mercy. If there are ANY EFH members in the crowd now. You have twelve hours to leave." Throwing the scarecrow on the concrete, Jake took Bill's cigarette out of his mouth and lit it on fire, the straw and cloth catching instantly. As Jake left, I caught a look at his eyes. Never have I seen any one person that inflamed in my life. He stopped before me, opened his lab coat and pulled out his desert eagle. Pulling the action back, he slipped the weapon into the front of my pants. "Just in case. Remember. Shoot to kill." He muttered to me, turning and leaving. I gave him a half nod as he disappeared.

Ending Author's Note: Plot Holes: Closed. Sorry about the short chapter, but I thought I might fan the flames of hatred for the EFH just a little more. We're on the last few legs, so bear with me. Oh, and I've already re-written the epilogue, because some of you (Not saying who) have hit a little too close for comfort to the ending. I wants this to be a surprise!


	18. Blood Red Sand Witch

Seventeen: "Blood Red Sand Witch"

"Man... I never get any real guns... all they leave me with are my paintball guns..." Christian mused, staring at the Desert Eagle in my waistband. He poked it with a claw and sighed, depressed. "I'd even take a PPK... or a .32 pistol. It doesn't even have to be powerful... I just want a gun."

"Oh, don't mope. I'm sure you'll get a gun soon." I muttered to him, organizing the letters on the little stand. "Can I use Revenant?" I muttered to Zoey, who thought.

"I don't see why not. It is a word." She replied. Picking up some of the letters, I placed them on the board, spelling 'Revenant'. Triple Word Score. "Nice..." I pulled five letters from the bag, replacing the used ones.

"Hey, Zoey?" She gave that semi-verbal 'hum' response as she contemplated her next move. "Can I talk to you for a bit?"

"You can ask me anything, Emma, you know that." She rearranged the letters on her stand now.

"Alone?"

"Sure." When no one moved, I stared at Christian.

"Oh, wait, is this the part where I excuse myself so you can talk? Sorry." Standing, he left, probably waiting just out of the room.

"So, what's the big secret, Emma?" Zoey asked, placing down more letters. "Engine." She read aloud, taking five letters from the suede bag.

"Jake... He... I... I spoke to Jake." I finally decided on. "He had some very interesting words for me. He seemed to get it into his head this crazy notion that you and I should-"

"Stop seeing each other?" She answered in this creepy nonchalant tone.

"D-uh... yea." I responded. How did she know?

"Yea... Jake told me the same thing. He was like 'I don't want you getting too close to Emma, Zoey. I can't have her loosing her mind in the event you die.'. Quote, mind you."

"Christ, he said that to you, too. That was pretty much what he said to me... kid has no inhabitations, does he?" Zoey shook her head in a 'nope' fashion. I went quiet, contemplating the words I had. "What did you say?" I asked after a while.

"I said, 'I don't have to worry about dying, Jake. I've got my White Knight to watch over me.'" She grinned this cocky little smile. I smiled in return, but deep down, her words disturbed me. She really depended on me. She relied on me for damn near everything. I am literally her everything.

Oh my fucking god, Jake was right. Her and I depend on each other for everything. If she died... I may very well loose my mind... the only person who ever loved me for who I am... and didn't run from my appearance. I slumped my head into my hands.

"Emma? Emma, are you okay?"

"Zoey..." I muttered through tears and skin. "I want you to promise me something."

"What?" I lifted my head up, and looked at her.

"I want you to promise you'll stay here when we go to set off the Pulse."

"Emma..."

"Promise me, Zoey. Promise you'll stay here."

"Emma... I can't promise that... I need to go."

"No, Zoey... no, you don't. They'll be a few of us, Nick, Ellis, Coach, Bill, Francis, Louis, Rochelle... you don't need to go." I replied.

"Emma, why are you being crazy? Jake's gonna have me go, you know that. I can't just not go." I stood from my chair and staggered over to where Zoey sat, across the table from me. Lifting a leg and stepping over Zoey, I seated myself on her lap. Putting her head in my hands I looked into her deep, enthralling eyes. She simply stared back, blinked twice, letting her eyebrow pique into a confused state. I watched as her sapphire eyes darted back and forth, scanning every inch of my face, trying to figure out just what the hell I was doing. Leaning my head forward, I placed my forehead on Zoey's, my eyes locked to hers. My hair fell around the sides of my head, shielding us from prying eyes.

"Emma..." She whispered in a breathy tone.

"Ssshh..." I responded, closing my eyes, listening to the steady inhaling and exhaling of air from her nose, feeling the slight rise and fall of her chest against mine. I could feel her heart beating ever so softly in her chest. She fell limp, like a rag doll, her arms falling at her side, her body just sitting in the chair. Opening my eyes every so slightly, I could see her falling completely submissive into my arms.

"Zoey..." I muttered, shutting closed my eyes once again. "I need you to stay here, so we can have more moments like this. I need something to come back to. I need an anchor." Lightly stroking her hair with one of my claws, I continued. "I can't hold onto something if it's in harms way like me. I need you here more then Jake needs you out there. I need a star to guide me, a sail to push me. You're all those things, and I can't afford to loose you. Not now. Not ever. You're my flesh and blood... my moon and star. Without you, I'm nothing. I don't want to be nothing. Not ever again. Please... Zoey. Promise you'll stay." She stayed quiet for a bit, her lungs taking in good air and removing bad air, her heart keeping the blood pumping through her body, and her mind, I could tell, was milling over what I had said.

As if life suddenly surged through her body again, her arms moved, wrapping around my back and pulling me closer. Releasing her head, I wrapped both arms around her neck, holding her tight. "Emma..." She finally spoke after a few seconds. "You're everything to me, also. The love of my life, and the light of my existence." She paused. "Which is why I have to go with you." Dammit, you stupid girl! You're not making this easy! As much as I wanted to voice my opinion, I kept it to myself, settling to just sigh and groan.

"I understand."

-In Another Part of the Quarantine Zone...-

I sat in the little security room, my fingers touching end-to-end with each other. I watched the little figures dance for me on the security monitors. One in particular interested me. It was of a white-haired woman straddling a brown haired woman in a chair. I didn't know what was going on there, but I liked. When the white-haired woman stood, I noticed it was my good friend Emma. I smiled to myself, standing, the duct tape on my legs and arms groaning at the stress my muscles were putting them under.

"That's a good little girl. Be a good little dear, and come to me. We've got work for you." She stood, getting off the brown haired girl, who I could see now was her little friend Zoey, said something, and left. "You can find me at the usual place..." Spinning on my heels, I walked from the security room, the white lab coat following me out.

-Moments Later...-

I coughed that distinct cough that all Smokers did, the obvious one which everyone cringed when it happened. The street lamps were just starting to turn off as the sun rose over the horizon. Everyone would be waking up soon, the dawning of a new day. I was just about to turn on the lights around the park.

"Trinsha!" Came a voice behind me. Turning around, I looked just in time to catch a glympse of a familiar face, and see a shovel hit me in the face.

I blacked out for a few seconds, my vision slowly coming to. When I finally could get the throbbing out of my head, and stop my vision from swimming, I looked around. No one was there. Whas that... no, it couldn't have been. The face was probably obscured by the shovel... I tried to sit up, but that was harder then I thought. Looking to what was pinning me down, I saw a stop sign sticking out of my stomach.

And that's when the pain hit me like a mac truck. A surge of unbearable pain coursed up and down my body. My white lab coat was stained blood red, the source of the leak being the stop sign. The word STOP on the sign was scoured out, replaced by a big, black 'EFH'. Closing my eyes, I let loose a shrill cry of pain, hoping everyone and their mother heard it.

After I got that out, I started out to get the sign out of my gut. Grabbing the metal post, I steeled myself, breathing a few sharp breaths, and holding the last, I yanked the sign out, another cry of pain following. I used to weapon as a walking stick, and stood. I had to stop the bleeding... I took of my lab coat, already stained bright red, and wrapped it around my waist like a large bandage. Wrapping the sleeves into a knot, I pulled, pressure causing more blood to pour from the wound. Christ, how much blood have I lost? Judging by the large red puddle on the ground, a lot.

"That sounded like Trinsha..." I heard voices in the distance. My vision starting to blur once more, this time from possible head trauma and blood loss, I found where the voices came from, and started to hobble in that direction, using the stop sign as a crutch. I rounded a corner to see Jake and Rochelle stop. "Jesus! Trinny!" Stumbling, I fell right into my brother's arms. "TRINSHA! Fuck!"

"Jake..." I managed out. "It was..." I couldn't speak any more, and could only collapse.

-

Racing down the open aired halls, my unconscious, bleeding sister in my arms, I muttered dozens and dozens of unclean, uncouth, fowl words, everything I could think of. The second half of my mind, while the first was occupied with finding my way to the hospital, was busy trying to concoct painful, though-provoking methods of slaughtering all the EFH members I could find.

The hospital was set up in what used to be the 'It's a Small World' ride. Due to obvious reasons, this ride was not only taken down, it was also gutted and stripped of everything that made it what it was. Sliding to a stop by the door, I gave it a solid kick, which did nothing, but to serve to sprain my ankle and hyper extend my knee.

"Mother...!" I growled, opening the door with a hand.

"How many times have I told you not to kick my door. It kicks back." Our resident doctor, Marie Savage muttered

"Yea, yea, yea. Cut the crap. It's Trinny. She was attacked by the EFH... I... I think they might have killed her..." I muttered, hastily wiping something from my eye. Marie put two fingers on her neck. Smiling, she placed a hand in front of her nose. Her smile grew.

"Heart is pumping, and she's breathing, so she's okay. She's not dead quite yet, but if we don't stop that bleeding, she verily may well bleed to death. Come on. Put her on the table." Hobbling over to her little operation table, I rested Trinny down, cursing the stupidity of my failed Spartan impression. "You better go outside. I don't like the family breathing down my neck." Nodding, I hobbled out of the ride, motioning Rochelle to follow. Exiting, I met with Zoey.

"Hey, Jake. What happened?"

"Tried to kick a door down... didn't work as planned..."

"Why are you at the hospital?"

"It's the EFH. They attacked Trinny." Zoey's eyes widened, a gasp escaping her lips. "It's okay. She'll live. For now. Before she collapsed, she tried to tell me who it was... I didn't hear it." My blue tooth crackled.

"Jake!" It was Christian, his voice panicked and frantic. "It's Christian up in the Security Center... There's something you need to see!"

"I'm a bit busy. The..."

"Yes, I know about your sister's attack. This applies."

"On my way." Dropping to all fours, I pounced off.

-

I woke up, my head throbbing and my eyes heavy. That was either the best rest I've ever had, or I was just beat over the head and mugged. I stood, white hair falling around my face. Shaking the rest of the sleep off, I looked around. I was in one of the back allies of the park, face down in the grass. Footsteps came up from one of my sides.

"Emma?" Came a voice. Looking right, I saw two Revenants standing, arms crossed. "Come with us."

The Revenants lead me back into the Security Room, where Jake was leaning on the console, nails digging, literally digging into the metal. He stared at a single monitor.

"Markus. Leroy. Go." He droned, his usual comical tone gone, an uneasy stern tone in his voice. The two Revenants left. "Emma. I need you to do me a favor. I'm going to ask you a very important question, and I want you to think very hard about the answer, and any possible repercussions said answers may entail." He continued to bear larger holes into the consoles metal.

"Alright..."

"Where were you fifteen minutes ago?" I thought. I was with Zoey...

"Zoey and I were together, playing Scrabble."

"Zoey hadn't seen you in half an hour. You've got a fifteen minute window where you dropped off the map. Now, I'll ask you again, where were you fifteen minutes ago?"

"Jake... I'm telling you, I was with Zo-"

"DAMMIT EMMA!" He shouted, slamming a hand onto the metal. "Stop fucking lying to me." The way he continued to stare at the monitor, not even facing me as he yells was creepy.

"I'm not lying, Jake! That's where I was."

"Oh. Okay. I'm sorry. I guess Zoey's sense of timing has gone on the fritz when she's only twenty-four."

"I don't know what's going on, Jake. I can't explain- What is all this about?" He stepped away from the monitor, his face red, almost fuming.

"I want you to watch this monitor, and tell me how it's possible." I took a few tentative steps towards the monitor, and watched. It was a security camera footage from one of the areas of the park, Trinsha walking on scene. She turned around, and fell, a shovel hitting her in the face. She went down and stopped moving. Seconds passed, and from where Trinsha walked onto, a stop sign impaled her in the stomach. A second later, I saw who did it. It was...

"Jesus... that's... me?" I muttered, watching the black and white digital version of myself remove the sign and impale her again. And again. And again. Five times total. With a claw, I scratched out the STOP on the sign, and, with a permanent marker, wrote 'EFH' on the sign. "I... oh my god..."

"So that is you, then?" He spoke, the aggression rising in his voice.

"I... yes, I guess it is." Jake pressed a few buttons, an electronic alarm ringing throughout the room, the door bolting shut.

"Good. You and I have some things to discuss." He pulled the pistol from my waste band and pointed it at me.

Ending Author's Note: SURPRISE! SHOCK! So, Emma's our little EFH Assassin. But... is that really true? Could this sweet, lovable Witch Revenant be a true killer? Find out in the next episode of Cry Witch.

Author's Comments: If anyone's interested, I've began playing an online Zombie MMO called 'Dead Frontier'. Give it a look sometime, It's real fun.


	19. Would You Kindly?

Eighteen: "Would You Kindly?"

We stood there. Like a US Marshall about to arrest a fugitive. His gun, pointed at my head.

"Why, Emma? Why would you try to kill my sister?" His aim, despite his obvious distress, was unwavering.

"Jake, I didn't..."

"You said it yourself. That's you on that security tape, is it not?"

"That tape could have been edited! You don't-"

"Edited? Well, fuck, Emma, that's a great edit! Did you POSE for that? 'Yea, where do you want the sign post? Her gut, or chest?' Come on, Emma. Don't play dumb, don't try to fool me, and just tell me the truth. It'll save you some pain and agony later." He was doing that awkward calm stern talking, where he was calm, but his manner of speech was stern, almost as if he was trying not to shout. I wracked my brain, thinking about that. I had no memories of attacking Trinsha, hell, I never even THOUGHT about it! One minute, Zoey and I are playing Scrabble, and the next, I wake up in the grass. Weird, yes, but that doesn't make me a killer. Just means I need to sleep more.

"Jake... I'm telling you the truth. If that is me on that tape, which, yes, I've said it is. But if that is me. And I mean really me, I have no memory of doing that."

"Oh, great. I've heard of sleep walking before, but never sleep murdering. That's certianly a new one." He tapped his ear twice, and gave the 'give it' sign with his free hand. My eyebrow raised. He waited for a few seconds. "You've stooped pretty low Emma. Thought you could just get off scott free, huh?" He tapped his ear again twice, and gave the 'give it' motion again. My hand went to my ear. The Blue-Tooth Headset. Pulling it out of my ear, he snatched it from my hand, the gun dropping.

"You listen up, Micheal Ross, and you listen good you little shit!" he barked into the earpiece. "I'm done with you, and Emma's done being your little puppet set to jump and bark on command. When I find your scaly ass, I'm going to roast you and put you on display for all to see! I'll chase you to the ends of the earth, Micheal! DO YOU HEAR ME!? The ends of the Earth!" He crushed the headset in his hands and dropped the remains to the ground. He put the gun on safety and slipped it back into my waist band. All I could think was how horribly, horribly random that whole thing was.

"What..."

"You're probably confused, Emma. Understandable. Come. I buy you breakfast, and explain everything."

If one was just watching us walk by, you would have never suspected anything. A perfectly normal couple of friends, on their way to breakfast. He bought me a steak fried in breading, two eggs and a pile of hash browns, along with a tall glass of milk.

"Alright, Emma." He spoke as he sat down. "I know you're head's all spinny right about now. Lemme clear something up for you." He took a big drink from his glass of water, wetting his throat for a winded explanation. "I'm afraid I've never been terribly frank with you. Quite frankly, on a few things about my past, I've flat-out lied to you all about." He cut a piece of the steak off and ate it. "When we first met..." he continued after swallowing. "You were sitting at a little cafe table in an airport, big sunglasses on your head, sipping an expensive Latte. You looked more then a little out of place, and I can't say I was much better."

"You knew me before the Infection!?" I barked out. He justified that with a little nod. "Why in the blue monkey hell didn't you tell me?!"

"Lesser of two evils. That's beside the point. I'll be honest, Emma. You're... not who you think you are. You're no nurse, at least not one I'VE every seen. You're... something else."

"What?"

"I can't say. I'll explain more when it's relevant, but as it's not now, we'll skip it." He took another big gulp of water. "I offered you the chance at a new life. A chance to start over with a completely clean slate. You were... in the market for something along those lines, but... as the cautious type you were, you poked a little father into my request. I told you, all you had to do for your new life was take a plane ticket, and drink a glass of water." He collected some of the hash browns onto his fork and ate them. "You probed a bit more, trying to figured out my motives and... after discovering none, took the water, and the tickets. What you didn't know at the time was that the water was actually heavily laced with the F.E.V."

"You PERSONALLY turned me into this monster?!"

"Monster? Such harsh terms, Emma. You're no more a monster now, then- nevermind. The point is, Emma, you trusted me then, and I ask you to do it again." I slowly started on my food.

"What I don't understand, Jake, is what happened."

"You and everyone else, I imagine. Let me explain. That strain of the F.E.V. I gave you also contained a series of Trigger Phrases... hypnotic suggestions your brain is programmed to react in a certain way when a certain word or string of words is heard. Micheal, my former research partner, had knowledge of these Trigger Phrases... and has been using them to his advantage, getting you to kill various Revenants around the Quarantine Zone. One such Trigger Phrase... puts you into a killing mode, and when you leave it, you have no memories of what happened."

"What the hell else kind of control do you have over me?"

"Be a dear and give me your chair." I stood and slid my chair around the table to him. Oh... that clever bastard. "That kind of control."

"Oh, great. You can have me bark like a damn dog whenever. What the hell else can you make me do?"

"Nothing against your will with that command. There has to be a small chance you'd do it in the first place for it to work. It's a personal favorite of mine. Thank you video game industry."

"So... the EFH isn't real?" I questioned as he slid my chair back, I sitting in it.

"Oh, they're real alright. As real as this nightmare. And I can tell you right now, I'll make sure we put a stop to them after this Infection, mark my words."

"Can you make me stop killing?"

"There was another Trigger Phrase only I knew about. An Emergency Override, incase I found myself under personal attack by you, I could shut off your Trigger Phrase Commands..."

"Well, do it!"

"In due time, my dear Emma. In due time. I still may need some of those Trigger Phrases yet, you never know. I'll let you know if the time is right to shut them off."

"So, until then, I could still kill?"

"Hardly. Micheal and myself are the only people who know about the Trigger Phrases, and now that his method of communicating with you is gone, Micheal won't be a problem."

"When this is over, Jake. You better tell me what I was like before this."

"When this is over, Emma. I don't think you'll want to know." He responded snidly. Placing his fork and knife on the plate, he smiled, having thoroughly enjoyed his breakfast. "Now, you best get some sleep, Emma. Tommorrow's going to be a big day. We've got an Infection to end."

-Later-

I stared at a picture, one of my few possessions I managed to salvage from Quarantine Zone Theta. It was a picture of myself, Trinny, and a lanky, red-headed man in the back, giving both of us the rabbit ears. We were all smiling, wearing Black Mesa uniforms.

"Micheal... where did you go so wrong..." I muttered to myself, remembering how Micheal was a long time ago. I heard a knock at the door. "Come in." I responded half-hearted. The door opened, the girlish figure of Zoey walking in.

"Doctor...?"

"Nyes?" I responded, putting the photo face-down on the table. I straightened myself out in the chair. I smiled as she approached.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I've got an important job for you to do for me. Up for it?" She gave a little smile.

"I sure am!" She replied with the spunk and vigor I came to both appreciate and loath about her.

"Excellent. There's a supply convoy coming in within the hour. It'll be headed to Quarantine Zone Omicron for resupply of the QZ. I want you on that convoy as a guard. Nick and Rochelle will be going with you. You think you can hack it?"

"You bet. Will it be back in time-"

"It'll be back well before our window closes. Don't worry." She nodded. "It'll load in the parking lot. Get to it." She exited. When she was gone, I muttered. "I'm sorry, Zoey, but I can't have you going with Emma. I need her straight-laced at the moment."


	20. Armageddon

Nineteen: "Armageddon"

I had slept well that night, despite having just discovered I was an unwilling suspect of three murder cases, and a fourth attempted murder. An APC was loaded in the parking lot early in the morning, and those who would take part in the coming assault had assembled. Most I recognized, but a few I couldn't.

There was Coach leaning against the APC's armor. Louis and Francis were talking just by a table loaded to cracking with weapons. Bill was a good distance from everyone, smoking. Christian was talking to Ellis and Mica. And then there were the three I didn't recognize.

The first was a tall, blonde woman who stood cross-armed against the APC, contemplating who knows what. The second was a red-headed woman who was talking to a black-haired man. None of the new arrivals looked like Revenants. I do hope they're immune. No sign of Jake, Zoey, Nick or Rochelle anywhere...

"Ah, good. Everyone's here." Came Doctor Ballenfield's voice. "Most excellent." I watched as the shape of Jake walked out of the APC dressed in the most rediculous orange and black suit of some kind of armor, emblazoned on the chest was the Greek letter lambda. Walking down the APC ramp, he adjusted the suit's gloves and collar. "Emma, come. Allow me to introduce you to our new friends." He beckoned me forward. Clearing his throat, he put a hand on the tall blonde woman. "This is Amanda Tripe, a long-time friend of mine. She's spent a few years in the marine corps before the Infection, and she'll be providing fire-support." Amanda put her hand out, which I kindly shook.

"Nice to finally meet you, Emma. Jake talks about you a lot." She spoke, her voice kind and soothing. Nothing like I'd expect out of a Marine. "My specialty is heavy repeating weapons, so Jake was kind enough to outfit a Heavy Machine gun to the APC."

"Second here is Sarah Cronson. She... um... lost her sister before the Infection." Jake cleared his throat.

"Emma Windsor. Pleasure." She bowed a little and smiled.

"And finally, Jarrad Brightstone. He'll be handling our escape. More so, COVERING our escape. He's a demolitions expert, specializing in Incendiary and High-Explosives munitions." Jarrad snapped to a salute and smiled. "Now that you've had the honor, join the rest, as I explain our little plan."

"Where's Zoey?" I asked out of habit.

"Safe." He clapped twice. "Alright, everyone, gather around."

"Where?" I continued.

"Quarantine Zone Omicron." He clapped again. "Gather round. Attention, if you please." Everyone faced him. Smiling, he continued. "Alright. Thank you all for getting up early this morning, we've got a few things to go over before we're ready, so gather around..." I pulled the three newcomers to the side.

"I'm sorry if I sound rude, but... are you three... Immune, perchance?"

"Went toe-to-toe with the Infected in Mercy City. Got bit and scratched to hell. If I haven't changed yet, I'm not gonna." Jarrad responded.

"The Doctor tested me. Said I was." Sarah confirmed. Amanda unbuttoned her camo-print jacked, letting it fall to her elbows. Under the jacket was a collage of scratch marks, bit imprints and bruises covering most of her torso. I nodded, satisfied.

"Eyes this way, please. I don't want to cover this twice." Jake's voice interrupted. We faced him. "Now. As I was saying. I've had five good men scavage the Quarantine Zone for any and all weapons, and here's what we came up with." He directed everyone's attention to the weapon and ammo table. "Three M-16's with fifty rounds each." He cleared his throat. "Sorry... moving on. We've got one MAC-10 with about two hundred rounds. A sawed-off shotgun with tweleve shells. Three automatic shot guns with a hundred rounds to them. A sniper rifle with fifteen rounds..." He moved to the other end. "One grenade launcher with three grenades. And one chainsaw. Half tank."

"Oh, well that's great. What do we do when we run out of ammo? Throw harsh language?" Francis added his two cents in.

"That's where table number two comes in." Removing the red cloth from the second table, her revealed an array or melee weapons. "On THIS table, we have five crowbars, three fire axes, six guitars, ten machetes, and three katanas, all courtesy our good friend Christian." Christian smiled, and bowed at the recognition. "He brought these when he arrived at Quarantine Zone Theta. No idea where he got them, but I'm glad he did. Hats off, buddy." He gave Christian a salute. The young Hunter Revenant returned it gleefully. Jake cleared his throat again.

"Now, in order to reach the power station, we'll have to circumnavigate the major highways and interstates, sticking to the back roads and dirt paths. As awesome and awe-inspiring as this vehicle is, it is no match for fifteen hundred miles of parked and stalled cars. We will not be going into Pierre, only simple parked about... thirty miles outside the city where the powerstation rests. Now." He cleared his throat. "Most of you, more specifically some of them non-Revenants, are wondering why you're here. To those who know me well, you are here because you've grown on me, and if I'm going to die, I want it to be next to you guys. To those others who hardly know me, it's because you've shown you know your stuff, and you have family living who can carry on your bravery." He cleared his throat once more. "Now... if no one has any objections, I'd like us to gather around for a little prayer." Vaulting over the table, he took my hand and Francis', and we all made a little circle.

"My holy Angel Guardian, ask the Lord to bless the journey we undertake, that it may profit the health of our souls and bodies; that we may reach it's end, and that, returning safe and sound, we may find my friends and family in good health. Do thou guard, guide and preserve us all. Amen."

"And may god have mercy upon us. Because those crazed bastards won't." Bill added his two in.

"Amen to that." I spoke. "I never knew you were a religious man, Jake."

"I'm not. On my driver's license it says for my preferred religion Cthulism." He cracked a sardonic smile. "I just like to keep the hopes of my people up."

"Cthulism? You mean Catholicism." I responded, correcting him.

"No. Cthulism. Phn'glui mglw'nafh Chthulhu R'lyeh wagn'nagl fhtagn." He flashed that cheesy grin. Rubbing my nose bridge, I sighed.

"Doctor?" Sarah spoke. Jake gave her that knowing stare. "May I?"

"Certianly. Feel free."

"Melissa and I were both... well... Wiccan. In practice and tradition. If I may say a little prayer for her. And all of us." Jake motioned her on. She took a step forward and folded her hands at her chest. "O dearest Father," She began, her eyes shut tight. "...help me to know and understand your will, allow me the strength to accomplish all you ask of me." The others around me bowed their heads, listening intently to Sarah, even if their religions clashed. I guess we're not all that different after all. "My dearest Mother, help me to be strong enough this day to show love to everyone, even those who show hatred toward me. So Mote It Be." Taking in a cleansing breath, she continued. "Dearest Parents, please grant me the gift of compassion: For the green earth; your woods, forests, waters, air, animals and all people." In her words, I felt a pang of familiarity. Almost as if I've heard these prayers before, or seen them somewhere. "Help me to become an example of compassion, so I may plant the seed of compassion for the betterment of all creation. Blessed Be." After another deep breath, she continued with a third.

"O eternal Goddess, Maiden, Mother and Crone, I am made from your flesh and you know me better than I know myself. You understand depression, frustration, and anxiety. Please help me to control these emotions, and help me to convert these powerful feelings into love. O eternal God, King of infinite wisdom and goodness, I am created from your essence, and I thank you for the gift of life. Please teach me to be patient and humble, tolerant and gentle, especially when life's problems become heavy and difficult to bear. So Mote It Be." This time, before she could speak, I did.

"O my dearest and eternal parents, please show me the way of wisdom, and grant me the strength to follow it no matter what adversary stands in my way. So Mote It Be." I spoke slowly, my words flowing like they've done it thousands of times before. Sarah opened her eyes and smiled. I gave the cheesiest smile in return.

"Thank you, Sarah."

"I want to add one in, too." Francis spoke softly. Jake recoiled.

"Francis! I'm shocked. I thought you'd be bored of this."

"Nonsense. I've got a sensitive side too, ya know." He cleared his throat. "Give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the strength to change the things I can, the wisdom to know the difference, and most importantly. Enough shotgun ammo for all Zombies. Amen." There came a roar of laughter followed by a concrete 'Amen'.

"Alright, people. Get ready. Take a Melee weapon or two, and a gun, and let's set out. It's probably gonna take us about a day to get out there. We're not going to be able to stop for a hotel room, so we'll assign three drivers. I'll be one, Francis can take second shift and... Ah, what the hell. Christian can take third." Christian kind of stared at Jake.

"Um... I'm not old enough to drive yet..."

"Do you know what the gas pedal does?" Jake asked.

"Yes..."

"Do you know what the steering wheel does?"

"...Yes..."

"Then you'll do fine!" The older Hunter Revenant grinned. My hand went up. "Yes, Emma?"

"What's with the weird digs?" I asked, pointing to his suit.

"What, this old thing? Little souvenir from Black Mesa. This is my personal Mark I Hazardous Environment Suit. Usually used for working in hostile lab situations, it makes a great suit of armor."

"Hey! I want armor!" Francis chimed.

"This one's been tuned to only function for me. Sorry. Plus, I've only got one. ALRIGHT! Francis, Ellis, Emma, do us a favor and load all our gear into the APC. Then we leave." Francis, Ellis and I did as we were told, storing all the weapons and ammo on board the APC in several sealed compartments. After loading up, I took a seat, put my head back in the cushion, and dozed off.

The drive was the longest, most boring thing I've ever done in my life. Twenty eight hours stuck in an APC crammed between Coach and Francis, and Jake for a bit. It was like a nightmare come true. Between Coach talking the whole trip, and Francis reeking the whole trip, I was about ready to freak out. The meals we had were welcome though. It was a way to break up the monotony. We switched Jake out for Francis about twelve hours into the trip, Jake well worn out.

"Emma?" He asked, yawning. "Can I ask you a weird question?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Mind if I use your shoulder as a pillow? I'm beat."

"Sure, go ahead." He hadn't even waited for my answer before doing just that. Grappling my arm, he put his head onto my shoulder and fell right asleep. I grinned at the mad Doctor, and went back to sleep myself.

We switched Drivers out once more about six hours later. Francis, apparently being but a man, couldn't go for much longer. Christian stepped up. He was a bit nervous at first, and we got off to a rocky start, but the kid drove okay. Christian's driving stamina was on par with Jake's, maybe even a little more. He got us the rest of the way there.

Which brings us to the now.

"Jake. Come on, time to get up and do your sciency thing." I nudged my shoulder a bit, my arm asleep, trying to wake him up. His eyes opened instantly.

"We're here? Good." He unbuckled and stood, popping his back several times. "Alright. Everyone awake?" There came a groan from the crowd. Looking out the slitted windows of the APC, I saw the sun on the horizon. Daytime. "Alright, grab what you can. Let's find get that pulse up and running." Christian had managed to navigate us right in front of the power relay station, thanks to Jake's directions from MyMapper. It was about a mile or two out of Pierre, the buildings of the city fairly visible in the not-too-distant distance.

No zombies in sight, which was always good. Most of them were still inside the city, so we're probably safe to do this.

"Alright, everyone." Jake spoke as we finished unloading the weapons and ammo into a little pile before the station Jake had his laptop set up at. "Update. I didn't want to say this in the Quarantine Zone... but in order to allow access to this stations sub-routers, I'll have to open all the station's breakers, allowing more power then usual to flow into the station."

"Meaning?" I asked.

"I'll... uh... have to cause the reactor to go Critical." He read my shocked reaction. "Oh, but only for a few minutes! The damage shouldn't be irreversable, and I think I can stop the chain reaction!"

"You 'think' you can stop the core overload? What do you mean by 'think'?"

"Uh... I'm twelve point three percent sure it won't go Critical and explode, killing us all." He responded.

"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?"

"Would you have come?"

"Hell no!" I answered, a response I think most echoed.

"Exactly." He grinned again. "Don't worry, I've only messed up in the simulations twice."

"How many times did you run those simulations?" Sarah asked.

"Twice." He responded. "But I know what I did wrong. I shouldn't make that mistake again!"

"Why am I hating this idea more and more?" He just laughed. Jake sat on his knees before the laptop as he brought up a white field on the monitor.

"Alright. Beginning initial sequence." There came the sound of something powering up, and a red light began to flash. Then, the most loud, obnoxious, unnecessary alarm sounded.

"What's that? Why is there an alarm!?"

"It's the Core Breach warning! Hang on, lemme see if I can shut it down."

"Well, hurry up before the-" There came a loud howl from somewhere in the distance, almost as if every damn Infected within a fifty mile radius heard the alarm. "Never mind, just shut it off!" I barked.

"Working on it." He typed on his computer, working on the alarm. "Oh, well, that's a snazzy fact. Apparently the Core Breach warning alarm is tied directly into the-" He stopped, the smile vanishing. As he looked to the city, he could hear the faint sound of an identical alarm, and red lights flashing. "Tied directly into Pierre's traffic system. When this alarm goes off... so do thousands of simultaneous ones in the city. Uh... bad news guys. I can't shut the alarm off. You'll just have to keep them off of me."

"WHAT?!"

"I can't shut off the alarm! The only way to stop the alarm is to stop the Core Breach, and I NEED that Core Breach. Just give me ten minutes, guys, just ten! I'll have it done then! I swear on my sister's life!" He frantically began working on the laptop. The ground began to rumble from a far-away distance. They were coming.

In force.

'Force' didn't even begin to cover it. When the Infected broke over the horizon and through the distant tree line, it was like a wave of sheer terror. I could see the thousands of them charging like maddened cows towards us.

"SHIT!" Francis shouted, taking up one of the fire axes, ready to face the horde. We circled around Jake in a protective shell, most of us taking a defensive, aggressive stance, my claws to bear. Amanda, on the APC's Heavy Machine Gun began to lay into the crowd, putting down a decent number of them before they could reach us.

"Aw, hell man! Here they come!" Ellis shouted, readying the assault rifle in his hands. Mica broke her formation for a moment, put her hand on my shoulder and smiled.

"Emma. If I don't survive this, I just want you to know that... well... Zoey's a lucky woman. I would do anything to have you as she does." She gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "Now come. Oblivion calls us all." Reforming in line, we met the Infected head-on.

The details of the melee were a blur. I could hear distant gunshots, I felt blood splatter on my face, back and sides, I could feel my claws go through wave after wave of Infected flesh. This cycle was eventually broken one... maybe two minutes into the fight.

From some distance, I could hear an unearthly howl echo off building and tree. I drew a blank as what made it, but Ellis seemed to recognize it.

"Incoming Charger!" He shouted, trying to find where it was bolting in from. We bearly had chance to react before the large, one-armed, overall wearing abomination broke the lines of the Infected, slammed it's oversized, muscular arm into Louis' chest and kept running, knocking Francis down and running into the crowd of Zombies on the other side. Jake watched, his usual smile marred by an unusual frown.

"Everyone close up! Fill that hole!" He barked. "I'm sorry, Louis..." Even as Louis' screams died into the rabble of the Horde, and despite not hearing anything out of him, I knew what everyone else did. There wasn't a chance on God's green earth he would survive. The rest of us took a step or two back, closing the hole, allowing Bill to fill the gap. I was close enough to hear Jake's next order. "Station One has been rigged! Five more to go! Keep it up!"

The cries of the Infected grew in decible, as they dropped to the ground before us, seeming to melt into the earth. I'd never seen this before in my time fighting them... Jake's words came some time later.

"Station Two rigged! Four more! Keep going!" He barked encouraging words to us over the din of the alarm and horde. Over the usual grumble and gurgle, I heard the shriek of the Hunter, and watched a little black dot rise over the crowd and grow. Hunter. Tracking it with my eyes, I waited until before it hit me, and punched the bastard in the face, wrecking his flight pattern, causing him to tumble into the crowd, probably trampled by the rampaging Infected, as I never saw head or hide of him again. Five minutes in.

"Station Three rigged! Three left, we're halfway through this, let's go, let's go!" Jake shouted over the roar. Over the heads of the Infected, I saw a puff of green smoke reflecting light as it moved. Smoker. Smokers weren't usually threatening, but in this case, they were dangerous.

"Eyes open! Smoker!" Amanda barked to us. Everyone watched. There came the sick sound of it's tongue leaving it's mouth. Where was it? Beside me, Francis fell to the ground on his back, the Smoker's tongue around his legs. I dropped down and grabbed his arms.

"Don't you let go!" I shouted to him, holding tight as I could feel the Smoker fighting me for the biker. "Don't you dare let go, Francis!" He just gave me that coy smiled.

"Hey Emma." He spoke calmly. I could hear his gruff voice even over the din. "I'm sorry about what I said at the Airport. About you just being a mindless Witch. I was wrong... and I see that. You're beautiful, Emma. Don't let 'em tell you different." He struggled one last time against the strong lasso-like tongue. "Tell Trinsha I love her." Letting go of my arms, he pulled the machete from his side, and went into the crowd of Infected swinging, hollaring like a barbarian. Two were dead.

"Jesus fucking Christ, people, close up that hole!" Jake barked again. "Station Four is rigged. Last legs, people, two left!" We took another two steps back as I took over the slack from Francis' death.

The melee continued until only one station remained to be rigged for the EMP. The ground rumbled as these words exited his mouth and the nine minute mark. Tank. Not exactly what I wanted to hear right now... As quick as it rumbling rose, the burly sack of burl broke through our defensive lines, almost mowed Ellis down, and went right for Coach. With one good clean punch, the portly, nice man was sent sailing into the crowd far away, the Tank in tow. The body count was rising much too fast.

"Station Six is Rigged! Five minutes until the pulse activates! It's on automatic from here on out! Alright people! WE! ARE! LEAVING!" And just as those words exited Jake's mouth, the attack. Stopped. The Infected simply stood around like lumps on logs.

"BALLENFIELD!" A voice boomed over the alarm. The zombies began to shuffle aside, allowing the slender, gaunt figure of that magical bastard from earlier to saunter in, his other drab robe replaced with a lab coat. Jake pressed a few buttons, the alarm ceasing.

"Ross. What an unpleasant surprise. What brings you here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same question. I figured you would try to stop my little play things. I just didn't think I would have to go this far. There's one among you who I still hold sway over." He grinned like the Cheshire Cat, his smile far too wide for my liking. "Emma... come see me for a time."

"The hell with that." I responded, standing my ground, the blood dripping from my clothes and claws. I watched Jake press a button on his laptop.

-Quarantine Zone Omicron-

"Sir! We're receiving word from Doctor Ballenfield! The Pulse is ready!" A technician monitoring the radio waves spoke, saluting. The older man, the Quarantine Zone's Overseer nodded.

"Seal the door. No one in or out until Omega sends the all clear..."

-

I was down in the loading bay, off-loading the cargo we were sent to deliver. Nick had volunteered to catch what I throw down, and Rochelle was up untying most of the gear, food and weapons. The light from the outside provided enough illumination on the subject.

"Warning." A computerized voice droned. "Vault Door is closing. Stand clear of door." It continued. "Message repeats: Warning. Vault Door is closing. Stand clear of door."

"What?" I muttered, watching the heavy cog-style door slide into place.

"Hey! HEY! What's going on?" Nick shouted to someone passing by.

"We're going into lockdown mode. The Overseer says the pulse is about to trigger."

"That bastard LIED to me! He said I'd join them!" I barked, jumping off the truck. "HEY! HEEEY!" I shouted running towards the door. "You gotta let me out! I gotta get back!" Someone grabbed me from the sides, holding me in place as the door finished closing, a loud hiss pressurizing the room and Quarantine Zone.

"It's suicide to go out there, Zoey. Jake knew that. Don't you see? He's making sure at least some of us survive."

"Why? Why do we have to be the ones to bear the burden!?" I shouted, tears rolling down my cheeks. "Emma... Emma... be safe, my love..."

"We're eye-witnesses to Armageddon, Zoey. There have to be eyewitnesses. So it doesn't happen again." Nick's cool, collected voice spoke over the rage in my head, speaking truths and reason to me. Hanging my head defeated, I cried.

-Two Miles Outside Pierre, South Dakota. 11:17:21 AM. Pulse ET: 3:20-

"Come, come, now Emma. You and I have been through so much together. Don't tell me you haven't felt me in the back of your mind. Watching you. Waiting..." The man named Ross spoke.

"Who the hell are you, exactly?" I growled.

"Micheal Karls Ross. Scientist. Perfectionist. Mastermind. After my dear research assistant Jake here created the F.E.V., modifying it to suit my needs would be a cinch. My strain of the F.E.V.? I can directly control these 'Infected', as you call them. Makes for a quite interesting parlor trick. But enough talk. Emma. Be a dear and come to me." I felt it. In the back of my mind, the unconcious part of my brain telling me to go. The rational side telling me to stay the fuck put.

"Go to hell." I responded. Micheal sighed.

"It's come to this, then." He shook his head. "Emma Windsor. The blood calls to you. Obey your master. Obey-"

"EMMA!" Jake shouted over Micheal, interrupting him. "A man chooses! A slave obeys!" He called. I felt something else after that. For the first time in a very long time... I actually felt in control of myself. COMPLETELY in control of myself. I smiled. Micheal scowled.

"Interruptions. "Emma Windsor. The blood calls to you. Obey your master. Obey your blood." He finished. This was clearly one of the Trigger Phrases Jake told me about. I only smirked.

"I don't think I want to. Fuck you. Fuck all of you." Micheal growled one last time at my defiance.

"So. It has come to annhialation, has it, Jake? So be it!" he turned to the Horde of Infected. "Minions! De-"

"Hey, Micheal? One question before you murder us." Sighing, Michal turned around again.

"Go ahead. I suppose answers could be the least comfort I offer you."

"It's about the Boomers. One thing always wondered me. How DOES their bile work?" Micheal scoffed.

"Simple pheremones, Jake. You should know that. The bile itself is a powerful sensory pheremone. When it covers a target, it attracts all the Giests to it like moths to a lamp. Nothing's as powerful."

"So, it's safe to say, you can't call them off a target, then, huh?"

"Correct. Quite smart, if I do say so myself." Jake smiled an evil, malicious, 'I know something you don't' grin.

"Wrong, Michal. Quite stupid." Both of his hands shifted. His right hand dropped to a small case on the suit's lower back, probably a backpack of some kind, a large canister of puke-green liquid inside. His left had grabbed at the desert eagle in my waist band. Everything seemed to slow down.

His right hand finished it's circle and wound up throwing the canister overhand towards Micheal. His left hand drew the gun up and fired, the shot shattering the glass canister, the green ooze covering Micheal.

"Gaaaauuuuuggghh! What is this?" He groaned, trying to get it off. Jake smirked.

"Your end." There came a howl from the group of Infected. All the Infected around Michael whipped themselves into a frenzy, swarming the unlucky Michael Ross. "The end justifies the means, Micheal. Death for the sake of perfection was your means, and the perfect death will be your end! So beautiful!" He cackled. "So poetic!" In a frenzied craze, the Infected began ripping and tearing at Micheal, his screams of terror and cries of commands drowned in the bloodlust. Jake looked at the laptop. Two minutes. He tapped me on the shoulder. "Two minutes until the end of the world! MOVE!" He commanded the rest of us. The APC, parked not too far away, opened the back hatch, Christian revealing himself with, for the first time, a gun. He clammered down the ramp halfway, a red swatch of cloth wrapped around his head, his paintball gear removed, his shirt taken off and thrown on the floor. Bellowing, he began to cut loose with an M-16, covering our dash for the APC. On his back was strapped the Grenade Launcher. After the M-16 stopped firing, he dropped in, grabbed the grenade launcher, and fired one handed, the explosive taking out a good chunk of Infected. Reloading in a blink, he fired again, eventually using all three grenades. As the last of our group, Ellis, climbed onto the APC, he shut the hatch, still screaming that pumping cry.

Jake took Christian by the shoulders and looked at him in the eye.

"Drive. We've got a minute thrity to get a mile away."

"Why?"

"I couldn't stop the Core Breach. It'll wipe out anything within a mile of the facility." His eyes widening, Christian dropped the empty grenade launcher, ran to the cockpit, and drove.

Fifty miles an hour. Sixty miles an hour. Seventy miles an hour. Eighty miles per hour. In a few seconds, the younger Hunter Revenant was red-lining the armored car at ninety five miles per hour.

"Fifteen seconds!" Jake shouted over the roar of the engine. He stared at the laptop. "Ten seconds! Five! Brace for impact!"

There came the distinct set of sonic booms that was usually heard as the space shuttle re-entered the atmosphere. Then, there was the pressure. The blast wave sent the entire APC hurdling some unknown hight into the air. And when we came down. Blackness.

Ending Author's Note: Okay. We got a couple more chappies after this, but that's pretty much the end. Got a few more loose ends to tie up, but it's fin. Now. I've got, kid you not, five endings for Cry Witch. All having a varying level of 'What the Figgity Fuck' attached to them. I'mma gonna spend a bit trying to decide which one I should use.


	21. Epilogue: The Fight Lives On

Epilogue: "One Year Later"

Good Ending; The Fight Lives On

The city outside was still dead. Most of the people who once called this place home, dead along with it. The pulse had done what it had been intended to. The United States of America was united once again, but at a tragic cost. The bodies of the Infected line the streets of every major US city. It will take another five to ten years for clean up to finish. That won't even begin to cover any of the dead that were in rural areas. After the complete failure of the power grid, a side-effect of the pulse, we were left without any power nationwide for three months. No heat, no air conditioning, no nothing. I suppose, in comparison to the alternative, it was a small price to pay for peace on earth.

A surprising number of us survived. However, that fact aside, the body count was still unacceptable. Louis, Francis and Coach had been killed fighting for world peace, martyrs as Jake called them, martyrs for a greater good. As for Ellis and Bill... they unfortunately did not survive the APC crashing. These deaths were truly depressing, as there was something that could have been done to stop it.

As for myself? I'm getting used to my new life. Quarantine Zone Omicron opened it's doors a day after the pulse, allowing it's two hundred thousand occupants back into the bright, clean, living world. We were a bit lost, but we were alive. That's the important thing. Of the deaths, I think Francis' affected me most. 'Tell Trinsha I love her.' his last words. He died like a true hero, a true warrior, and a true man. He died defending what he loved. Despite his gruff and course outside, he believed in the goodness of Humanity.

"Trinsha?" A voice called before me. Shaking my head, breaking my trance I smiled to the woman before me. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Sorry, just thinking." I looked over her hands. "Good news, Emma. It looks like the F.E.V. is starting to adapt to your body. You're slowly becoming your old self." I smiled, putting her hand back on her lap, her once deadly claws had rescinded in recent weeks, shortening back to beautiful, slender fingers, the tips still a bit pointed. I looked at her eyes, the once crimson color had slowly began turning a slight purple, the red steadily vanishing from them. "Looks like your eyes are changing color, too. That's good. You'll be back to your old self in no time!" I gave her a dismissing smile and patted her leg.

"Have you heard from Jake yet?"

"No..." I responded, sighing. "Not in a few months. I can't get a hold of his cell phone, and he won't respond to my emails. I would try writing a letter, but I don't know where he's staying, or what he's doing..." I groaned at the thought. "That man's arrogance pisses me off! He vanishes after the pulse without so much as a 'take care, Trinny'! He's so frustrating at times!" I growled a slight annoyed growl, tossling my own hair. Emma chuckled.

"Maybe you should hire someone to find him."

"Oh, I would. Except that man's more ninja then a ninja. If he doesn't want to be found, you don't find him. Like, ever." Emma laughed again. "What's so funny with you?"

"You. You crack me up sometimes." The Revenant gave me a little kiss on my forehead.

"You should be more careful, Emma. Zoey might catch you." I muttered.

"Pft. Zoey don't care. She knows. She says as long as it stays platonic, she's okay with it." I grinned at that. That's Zoey for you.

"Besides. You're bed's already at capacity." She nodded. "Couch is fine with me." My stomach growled. "Gah... where is that woman with food?" The door opened almost on cue.

"I'm back guys!" Zoey's voice came from the door as it slammed shut.

"And I can't say a moment too soon. How was the trip?"

"Bodies are still littering the streets, but I can't say that to be unexpected. Probably be that way for a while."

"Hey. Less talking more foodie. I's hungry." Christian's voice grumbled. Zoey chuckled.

"I better put this down before he eats me."

"Om nom." Christian responded, tearing into the bag of food when Zoey set it down.

"So, how's my Wicked Witch of the West today?" Zoey smiled, giving Emma a kiss on her lips.

"Claws have shrunk three quarters of an inch in the last week. At this rate, she'll probably be normal in... a week or so. Eyes are starting to turn purple. Probably be blue within a month or so." I smiled to Zoey who smiled back.

"Well, that's good. I can't wait to get my Emma back to normal." From outside, I heard feet shuffling.

"Sssh!" I whispered. "Hear that?" Emma seemed to.

"Yeah, I-" The door flew open, several armed men charging in. I caught a look at the soldiers. They wore odd white gas masks, their eyes obscured by an odd blue glow. Across their ash gray armor was written "EFHC".

"On your knees!" Their voices were synthesized, a mechanical overtone to them. They all carried nightsticks with an electric current running through them. The didn't even wait for anything. The simply charged in, and within seconds, Christian and Emma were unconcious. Zoey moved for her pistol, but was a bit too slow. Watching one pull a gun, I reacted, using my tongue to grapple the weapon from his hand, roping it towards me. "Gun! Take her down!" One shouted. I heard several guns go off, a few of the bullets tearing into my body. I collapsed.

My vision began fading in and out, the soldiers, four in all, filed into the room and began checking bodies.

"Body Check." The one who remained standing called to the others.

"Alive." The one over Emma's body muttered.

"Alive. This one's human." The one over Zoey confirmed.

"Alive." The other next to Christian spoke. The one by Zoey stood up and walked to me.

"This one's injured. But her eyes are open. She should live." Better pray I don't.

"Secure them for transit. We've got a deadline to keep." More clattering from outside. "Wait! Form up. We got company!" No sooner did he say this then his head exploded from the outside. His body collapsing, I looked on at the figure of my brother.

"You Masks picked the wrong group of Revenants." He spoke, firing two more times, two other soldiers dropping. The third one, the one with the nightstick, tried to fight back, but was disarmed and killed in a steady motion. Jake was still wearing that H.E.V. He walked right to me, crouched down and smiled.

"Hey, Trinny."

-Hours Later. SPRA Headquarters.-

I sat in the chair as my brother looked me over.

"Jake Allistair Ballenfield, you have got some balls! Using your own sister as BAIT!?" I shouted as he addressed some of the bullet wounds in my torso.

"It had to be believable, Trinny. Trust me. I didn't much want to do it maself, but the EFHC has been frothing at the mouth recently, so I had to give them some medicine to chew on. Nothing is more luring to those zealots then three Revenants and a Pro-Revenant Mundane living in a three bedroom apartment. It's like candy to a child." He finished stitching up the holes. "There. That should keep you in check for now. Why'd they shoot you and not Christian, Zoey, or Emma?"

"Because I tried to fight back."

"Dammit, Trinny. You're so fighty."

"Oooogh... my head..." I heard Zoey mutter.

"Oh, look who's up. Heya Zoey."

"Jake... ugh... were am I?"

"You are currently in the Headquarters for the Society for the Preservation of our Revenant Allies, or SPRA, as most are calling it. Think of it as the EFHC's arch nemisis.

"EFHC?"

"Remember the EFH a while back?" She nodded. "Well..." He stopped as another groan got his attention. "Well, well, well. Mornin' Emma."

"My head. It hurts... what... what happened."

"My LOVING brother here used us four as bait for the EFHC." I groaned.

"So hostile, Trinny. We had every intention of saving your hides when the EFHC rolled in.

"What's the-" Emma started.

"Just getting to that. You remember the EFH, right? Earth for Humans?" Zoey and Emma nodded. "Well, sometime between then and now, they militarized. They're calling themselves the Earth For Humans Combine. The damn Combine's been corralling and shipping Revenants off to gods knows where for the last seven months. The SPRA was organized to protect them.

"What's-"

"Society for the Preservation of our Revenant Allies. Try to keep up with the acronyms, Emma." Jake rambled. "G-uh... where was I? Ohoh yea. The Earth For Humans Combine is, in short a militarized branch of the EFH. They've taken to eliminating the Revenant 'threat' by military action. I'm not sure how, but they have some scary weaponry. You four were lucky. You caught the relatively low-tech end of the Combine."

"How scary are their weapons?" Emma muttered.

"Plasma. Laser. Gauss. Shit that's centuries beyond our capacity at the moment. Luckily, though, it's not beyond our capacity to use and reverse-engineer. So far, R&D has managed to figure out how their gauss weapons work, so it's to our advantage. For the time." He sighed, inhaling. "Any questions?" No one raised their hands. "Good. Because as of right now, you all are official SPRA members. Be sure to see the quartermaster about armor and weapons."

"Even me!?" Christian smiled to Jake.

"The shit kind of question is that, hell yes you get a gun!"

"SWEET!" Christian shouted, throwing both hands up and running to follow Zoey.

"Emma. If I can see you in my office, please?"

-Jake's Office-

I entered behind Jake, his sister probably off to join Christian and Zoey. He had a nice little office, a desk with a computer, some trinkets here and there, and a few posters. One interesting thing was the vial on the center of his desk. It was in an odd container which had 'F.E.V. Original Strain' engraved on a nameplate on the container.

"Like my office? Most of this was salvaged from Theta's remains." He sat on his side of the desk. "Have a seat, Emma." I took one of the plush chairs on the other side. He shook a newspaper before him which was dated a year or so ago, probably a time before the Infection. "Listen, Emma. There's a reason I've called you here. It's about your past."

"What ABOUT my past?"

"Well... remember when you said that I turned you into the monster you are now, your words, not mine, and I started to speak, but stopped?"

"Yea, what about it?" He put the newspaper down.

"I would like to clarify. I'm sure Christian's already told you about the serial killer who ran rampart around the New York area in the weeks leading up to the Infection?"

"Yes. Lady Vanity was her name, I think."

"Good. You remember out mutual friend Sarah Cronson, right? How I said she lost her sister to the Infection?" I nodded. "Well, she kind of lost her a bit before the Infection, but that's beside the point." He sighed some. "Look, Emma. There are two things I hate in this world. Plush animals and people who beat around the bush, so I'll come out and say it. I knew Lady Vanity. Well... I knew her by her real name, Melissa Cronson."

"Really, doctor, what does this have to do with me?"

"It's been a year, and you're still as dense as I remember. Can't you link the three? Melissa Cronson, Lady Vanity and Emma Windsor? Why do you think you were so calm when you figured out you killed Jennifer, Kyle and Ken? It's because you're no stranger to murder! You ARE Melissa Cronson! You ARE Lady Vanity."

"WHAT?!" I blurter out, the noise bouncing about the walls. Jake only shook his head.

"I had been on your trail for a while. I was desperate to figure out who you were, to see if my F.E.V. would work. I figured... if Lady Vanity suddenly died, or vanished, no one would really care. So I picked you as the original recipient of the F.E.V." I was too stunned to say anything. "I've never lied to you about your past, Emma. We met once before, as I said, in a little coffee shop in an airport in New York City. You looked like a woman who had something to run from, so I offered you a choice. Continue to run, or start over. Clean slate. New woman, new record. You chose clean slate. I knew you'd take that plane ticket, the F.E.V. would take over your body by the time the plane landed in California, and when everything was said and done, I would have either perfected the ultimate Evolutionary Virus, or I would have killed you. I didn't expect the next thing."

"What?" I managed out.

"You started infecting others. The original strain of the F.E.V. could be transmuted through the air, but only in short distances. You started coughing and breathing on people, which spread the F.E.V. around. And by the end of the day, you had already infected half the country."

"So I'm a mistake, then."

"Only in the most minute sense of the word. Was your infection planned? Yes. Were the results planned? To an extent. Was the country-wide infection of over five million people planned? Hells no. But you are far from a mistake. Look at it like this, Emma. You got your wish. You're a free woman! With everything that entails. You've got a beautiful girlfriend, and an even better looking best friend. You've got myself, Christian, Mica... hell, even some of the other Revenants have started thinking your apartment would be a nice Mecca. You've got practically an army at your back, Emma. You can do what you like. But... I know for a fact you'll always want more... so I can make you an offer. Whether or not you accept it is up to you."

"What offer?"

"I can restore your pre-Infection memories. Take note, however, that if I do so, you may digress back into your former self. A situation which the only cure is death." Revert back to a serial killer? Not a risk I'm willing to take.

"Thanks Jake... but no thanks. It'll stay Emma Windsor." I smiled, turning to leave.

"Emma. Look... at least tell Sarah. She deserves to know." I nodded to Jake's request. "Oh, and having said that, I'm dating your sister."

"Good timing." I muttered.

"Thank you." I left as he said this.

-

I watched Emma leave to talk to Sarah. I turned to my computer, the words 'incoming call' flashing on the screen. I pressed the accept button, and scowled.


	22. Epilogue: End of Bloodshed

Epilogue: "One Year Later"

Good Ending; End of Bloodshed

The city outside was dead. Her inhabitants, dead. But the city would recover, slowly, evidence of this already to begin showing as a few merchants had returned to their stores, and even the occasional car drove down the road. I stared out the window of the little shop and sighed. One year on, and I can't believe how well off we made out.

Don't get my wrong, Francis, Louis, and Coach's deaths hit us pretty hard, but on the whole, everyone else survived. Jake and Trinsha had moved in with Zoey, Christian and I and we managed to carve out a nice living in a four bedroom apartment. And by 'four bedroom apartment' I of course mean we gutted the entire third floor of an apartment complex and turned it into one big apartment for the five of us. Such were the benefits of being heroes. Special Treatment, as they call it.

Jake had opened a bookstore about six months ago and, besides the fact we hardly get any customers, life was good. Jake had given us all something to do with our free time other then watch television reruns and eat week-old ice cream, so I suppose I can't complain too awfully loud.

"Oi, Emma." Trinsha's voice came from my right, followed by a few sharp snaps from her fingers. "Front and center. I can't look you over if you're staring off into space, now can I?"

"Sorry, Trin, got distracted."

"God, I swear, sometimes I think Jake and you are more related then he and I. You're like a three year old with an ultra short attention span."

"I'll have you know I don't have a short – SHINY!" Jake called. Trinsha laughed. Despite how different they were, Jake still had to power to make her smile. "Oh, hey, I forgot to mention my book got back from the publisher."

"You never told me you were writing a book..." I muttered, watching him polish the counter.

"You never asked." He responded as I figured he would. "Here..." He took a book from under the counter and handed it to me. I looked it over.

"Cry Witch?" I muttered, staring at the title. "The best title you could think of was Cry Witch? That's the worst title ever!"

"Yea, I agree. I was originally going to call it 'Left For Dead, a Witch's Tale', but my publisher liked Cry Witch better." He paused. "And yes, Emma. That's why I asked you for details about or little adventures." I started flipping through the book. The first half was written from Jake's point of view, while the second half was written from mine.

"Well, Emma. I have good news for you. Your claws have shrunk half an inch in three weeks. I figure in four months, you should be back to normal." I frowned some.

"It's taking forever."

"Yea... well, at the very least, it's a slow, steady change. You've not digressed, or had any extenuating problems, so one can't complain. I heard the door open, a tall man in a gray suit walking in, a briefcase in his hand.

"Good afternoon. Welcome to JTZCE Books. Can I help you find anything today?" The man just looked around, not even acknowledging Jake's greeting.

"I'm just here to... look around, Doctor Ballenfield." Jake's eyebrow rose at this.

"How'd you know my name?" The man's stone face curled into a slight smile, then reset.

"I'm a close... personal friend to one... of your former associates... Doctor Freeman... He speaks very... highly... of you, Doctor."

"I don't know anyone by the name of Freeman." Jake answered, looking very perturbed.

"Well, if that is true... Doctor... or not, I have a little... proposition for you... if you're interested." He stopped to adjust this tie. He walked to the counter and set the briefcase on the table. "My... employers tell me you have something very... interesting that they are very interested in... I was hoping we could come to some kind of... compromise for it, Doctor... a fair trade... as it were." He opned the briefcase and turned it to face Jake. I couldn't see what was inside, but I didn't like it nonetheless.

"What do you plan for the F.E.V.?" He muttered, staring at what was in the briefcase.

"To do what you cannot... safely. My..." He stopped for a second, searching for the right words. "Employers plan on destroying the virus in a... safe environment."

"How can I trust you?"

"Doctor Ballenfield... I am a man... of my word. All you must do is... ask Doctor Freeman."

"I'm afraid I don't have the F.E.V. anymore. I destroyed the last sample."

"Come now, Doctor Ballenfield... You and I both know I would not darken... your doorstep if I did not know you had a sample... You have proven yourself a decisive and trusting man. So I don't think this should... be such a problem. Put the sample you keep in your desk in the case... and you get the chip..." He paused. "Refuse... and I can't say your safety is guaranteed..." He paused, weighing both options. He reached into his desk, pulled a small vial of the F.E.V. from within, and placed it in the briefcase. He took a small black chip from the case, and pocketed it.

"Thank you, Doctor... so good to do business with you. I look forward to... seeing you again." He shut the lid on the briefcase, picked it up off the table, turned on a heel with military precision, adjusted his tie, and strode out of the bookstore.

"What is that?" Trinsha asked, Jake staring at the chip.

"Adaptive AI Core... the last part I need for GlaDOS to work... how'd he..." We all shared a collective shrug.


	23. Epilogue: Fallout

Epilogue: "Fallout"

Neutral Ending

I awoke several days later, my brain thumping inside my skull, the blood gone all to my legs. My eyes were heavy, and my body ached.

"Where..." I managed out, looking about, seeing Jake and the others milling about around me. "Where are we?"

"Emma... good, you're awake. Listen... I'll be frank with you, Emma. The pulse..." He sighed heavily. "It didn't work."

"What?!" I shouted, forgetting the pain in my body.

"The pulse malfunctioned just before it could go off, and the stations exploded."

"What do you mean 'malfunctioned'? I thought you said you had it?"

"I did have it. Something got messed up in translation... I did all the simulations six, seven times... what could have happened, I can't say."

"I'll tell you what happened, Jake, you fucked up. That's what happened! You screwed up, and now Francis, Louis and Coach are dead for nothing!"

"Don't you chastize me, don't you sit there on your high-fucking-horse and tell me what I DID WRONG! You don't think I know what I did fucking wrong! Yes, I fucked up! Yes, three people, three GOOD people died meaninglessly! YES! I'M HUMAN! I MAKE MISTAKES! THERE!" He sighed, recomposing himself. "Are you happy now, Emma. I finally admitted my humanity. That's what you always wanted. What everyone always wanted. To watch the good doctor's sanity finally snap." He chuckled, which turned into a somble cackle. "Well, you get to see it. And now CEDA's going with their contingency plan. Pretty soon, they'll nuke the entire country, tuning it into a zombie-free wasteland, incapable of sustaining even basic life." He sighed, took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. Between the sweat on his brow, and the scowl on his face, I could see something I've never seen from Jake. Tears. "Millions of people dead. Because I fucked up." He choked out, his voice cracking as he started to cry. "Because I'm USELESS!" He shouted, grabbed the chair he was sitting on, and hurled it at the large cog-shaped door far away. He sat himself on the ground and sobbed hard.

In the distance, the sounds of explosions pierced the eerie silence, Jake's cries sound hollow and grief-ridden. Much like the cry of a Witch.


	24. Epilogue: Desolation

Epilogue: "Desolation"

Poor Ending; Twin Survivors

Jake and I stood staring into the vast blackness of Quarantine Zone Omicron. The door had been literally ripped from it's hinges, and blood was painting the inside of the vault like structure.

"Jesus Christ Almighty in heaven..." Jake mused as we began to walk among the bodies, most were Infected bodies, but more then a few were humans. Non Infected.

"Zoey!" I called, trying to find her.

"So many bodies..." Jake muttered. "None alive so far... chance of survival... low... Emma, it's not looking good."

"Shut up! She's around here somewhere! Zoey's a survivor... she'll make it." My heart raced in my body. I tried to quell it's racing... kept telling myself Zoey was still alive. But deep in that darkest recess of my heart, I knew she was most likely not...

"Emma! I found her..." Jake called from another part of the Quarantine Zone. Turning on a heel, I sprinted towards him, jumping and trampling over other bodies. Dropping to my knees, I found her, bruised, battered, bloodied, and broken. She was barely concious when I arrived.

"Hey, beautiful..." She muttered when she saw me, a thick trail of blood rolling down the side of her mouth.

"Zoey... christ, what happened?"

"Just before the pulse... someone opened the door... the Infected poured in... we never stood a chance." She couched, blood splattering my face.

"It's okay... we'll get you out of here, Zoey. You and I... we get that little white fenced house like we wanted."

"Don't be stupid Emma... I'm already dead..."

"No. No you're not. It's just a flesh wound."

"You're not getting the whole picture... Emma... you see this I Beam on me...?"

"Of course. Just a little heave and I'll have it off in no time." I reached for it.

"Shit... Emma, don't touch it."

"Why the hell not! I've got to get her out of here."

"Remove that I Beam and you'll kill her. It's the only thing stopping her from bleeding out."

"What!?"

"Her legs were severed when that beam landed. Remove it, and you'll kill her." I swallowed hard. The information was harsh, but he was right.

"What should I do?" I grumbled.

"The only thing you can." Zoey took my hand, pulled it to her lips, and kissed it. "You need to go on with your life. Live what life I can't. Don't forget me." I began to tear up, saddened by her words.

"No... there's got to be a way."

"Emma... I hate to rush, but I can't raise any of the other Quarantine Zones." Jake muttered.

"Go, Emma..." Zoey smiled. "The longer you stay here, the harder it will be to forget."

"I can't just leave you, Zoey. You're my everything... remember?" Zoey shook her head.

"Jake... give me a hand." Jake looked over Zoey for a moment, gave a somber nod, and took hold of the I Beam.

"Wait! You said that would kill her!"

"I know... it will." He groaned, pulling hard on the heavy iron beam.

"What are you doing?!" I cried, trying to pull him from his job.

"You wouldn't understand, Emma." Despite my efforts, he presisted, the cold feeling of blood beginning to seep into my damaged shoes. Her blood.

"STOP IT!" I shouted, continuing to attempt to stop him.

"Good bye, Emma. Know I'll always love you." She muttered her last words, her skin going ghost white, eyes closing, and breathing ceasing. Dragging the I Beam away from her severed legs, he set it down.

"You killed her..." I muttered, staring at Jake.

"Yes. I did." He responded, sitting down, huffing and puffing from the physical exertion. "For good reason."

"GOOD REASON!?" I bellowed, enraged. "What 'Good Reason' could there be to KILL her!?" I grabbed his shoulders and shook him vigorously. "ANSWER ME!" I shouted.

"She was an anchor, Emma. If she survived, you'd stay by her side until she finally died. Which could take days. Do you really want to sit by her side as she withers into nothing? At that rate, she'd probably would have starved to death before bleeding out. Starving is a tortuous way to die, Emma. Blood loss is much less torture. Much faster. Much less painful. It's a mercy killing, Emma. I killed her because I loved her too. She was as good a friend to me as you are. And I don't want to see either of you wither to nothing. So either one of you dies... or you both do. I knew you'd never see what was happening, so I had to for you. Zoey knew that. That's why she sacrificed herself. So you'd live." Tears poured down my eyes as he spoke these words. These aweful, horrible truths to me. Zoey was a wise woman. Wise much beyond her years. It was painful to hear them, but they caused the type of pain that only the truth could. I nodded.

"I... I see..."

"Come on. Let's get out of this grave. We've got a civilization to rebuild." Jake grunted as he stood.

"Do you think anyone else survived?" Was my question, as I tried to keep Zoey's death from affecting my judgement.

"God I hope so." He chuckled. "Because if it's just you and I left, humanity if fucked."

"Why do you say that?" I grumbled, pushing a tear away.

"Two reasons, Emma my girl. One. You're a lesbian. WAAAAY out of my league. And two... Revenants can't reproduce. Everything from the waste down is busted. Kaputs. Sterile."

"Comforting."

"Well, they're still pleasure factories, as I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but they don't work like-" A crash above as we exited stopped my rant. I stared up at the ruins of a long-gone city. Above the center was a blue swirling mass in the sky, lightning and thunder echoing across the grass and trees. "What in god's green earth?" I mused.

"That's what I'd like to know."

"Wait a tic... oh, shit..." Jake mused again as more, smaller swirls opened. "That kind of atmospheric disturbance can only mean one of two things. Either that's a portal storm, and we're about to be invaded... or it's Cthulhu's return to earth... I pray to God it's not a Portal Storm."

"Why is that?" He looked at me in dramatic fashion.

"Because, Emma. If that's a Portal Storm. We're royally fucked. Even more then we are now." He faced the swirl in the distance as more appeared.


	25. Epilogue: Total Annihilation

Epilogue: "One Year Later"

Poor Ending; "Total Annihilation"

I stood by the mass grave marked by the marble statue. There, engraved for all eternity in the marble were visages I recognized. Louis, Francis, Bill, Zoey, Ellis, Nick, Rochelle, Coach, Christian... Trinsha. And there was our Trump Card. Emma. Closing my coat against the wind and rain, I stood stalwart. Beneath the statue was a plaque, which read:

"To those who gave their lives to save ours. You shall be forever remembered." Reaching into my pocket, I pulled an empty vial and envelope from within, and set them down on the ground as an offering.

"I've lied to you a lot, Emma. I've lied to you all a lot. And I know it was wrong." I spoke to the statue. "But you deserve to know the truth. And I am a man of my word." I cleared my throat. "Your real name was Melissa Cronson. As much as people didn't want to believe, you were a serial killer before the Infection. I... don't want to go into details, but suffice to say, you were in the market for a new life, something I was just in the market to sell." I sighed, looking over the cold marble stare of Emma. "You were my personal guinea pig, Emma, I treated you like a guinea pig, and I was wrong! I shouldn't have..." I ducked my head a bit closer to my shoulders, trying to hide my face behind the raincoat's collar. Tugging on the brim of my hat, I pulled it down some.

"Listen. I know you hated my guts for a lot of reasons, and you have ever reason to. But know this. I always loved you, Emma. As a friend. As a woman of considerable talant, as a survivor, and as a person. I can just hope you get that white pickette fence in Heaven." I laughed an eerie laugh to myself.

"You're lucky, Emma. You get to go to Heaven. I'm not so lucky. I get to live. I get to live for the rest of eternity. I'll probably go mad before I die. And even then, my torture won't end."

"So the lucky ones are the ones who die. For the rest of us... there's only eternity." I sighed. "I'll miss that smile of yours, Zoey. And Francis, I'll miss that hard stare you always give. Bill, I'll miss that smell of cigarette smoke. It's become so you. Louis, I'll miss your snarky comments. Ellis, Nick, I'll miss that interesting relationship you two have. That nice love-hate one. Rochelle... I never knew much about you, but I'll miss ya. Coach... I'll miss that fatherly figure you've been to me. Trinny... I'll miss your laugh. Emma... I'll miss you." I turned on my heel, and walked towards the two figures who waited for me.

"I can guarantee you a good line of work... Doctor Ballenfield..." The first figure, dressed in a gray suit, carrying a briefcase spoke. The second man, a rugged, hardened man with green eyes and glasses, dressed in a similar H.E.V. that I used earlier, only nodded. "Your colleague here can vouch for that... Right? Gordon?" The green-eyed glasses man said nothing, simply lead us farther into the rain.


End file.
